Pipeland opponents thanked for ‘victory’ in Madras site saga

A trust which aided the campaign against building the new Madras College at Pipeland has thanked its members for helping secure a ‘victory’.

St Andrews Preservation Trust opposed Fife Council’s selection of green belt land for the new school and provided grants for the successful legal challenge to the Court of the Session.

The council confirmed in December that it was back in negotiation with St Andrews University over a site at Langlands in the west of the town instead.

A statement issued by the trust said it could “claim a victory on this issue”.

It said: “Well done to all trust members who have been involved in this saga in any way.”

Before St Andrews Environmental Protection Association Limited (Stepal) took legal action against the issue of planning permission for a secondary school at Pipeland, trustees and trust members made numerous objections.

Several trustees supported Stepal’s case and two substantial grants were made to Stepal for legal expenses.

The trust said: “The outcome of the court case, which went to appeal to the Inner House of the Court of Session, was victory for Stepal.

“It is also a victory for the trust, given the trust’s support for Stepal.

“There can be no doubt that, but for Stepal’s and the trust’s determination and tenacity in challenging a flawed planning process, a totally unsuitable site would have been selected.”

The trust said a site in the western approaches to the town would meet all its criteria for a new school, most important being outside the green belt and not impacting on the wonderful landscape setting of St Andrews.

It said: “It will keep the school buses outside the town, reducing congestion, noise, pollution and risk of accidents.

“It will enable co-location with the university to enhance educational opportunity and leave open the possibility for hospital expansion, which the building of a school at Pipeland would have prevented.”