The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Madras plans could be blocked by prized trees
Campaigners for replacement school warn against further delay
After well over a decade of wrangling, plans for a long-awaited Fife school could be felled by “champion” trees.
Campaigners fighting for a replacement school for Madras in St Andrews have urged those challenging proposals for an essential access road to be mindful of the years of delay already suffered.
A link road to Langlands, earmarked as the site for the £50 million school, would run through an arboretum and home of protected animal species. With prized trees having to be axed, objectors fear development of the route would have a devastating impact on wildlife.
A spokesman for pressure group Parent Voice called for the plans to progress, pointing out it has already created “so much division”.
Those challenging the route of a road to the new Madras College have been urged to remember the years of delay already suffered.
The link road from the A91 to Langlands, where it is proposed to build the £50 million secondary school for St Andrews, would run through a nationally-recognised arboretum and habitats of protected animal species.
Several prized trees would have to be chopped down and objectors to an application by St Andrews West LLP fear the carriageway would have a devastating impact on wildlife and have urged the consortium to alter its route.
A spokesperson for Parent Voice, the group campaigning for the school to be built as soon as possible, said: “We would ask those objecting to the road to look into the history of the decade-long fight that’s already created so much division just to have a school that’s fit for purpose for the children of the area.”
St Andrews LLP, which is behind plans for more than 1,000 new homes, has applied for planning permission for the first section of the link road to the St Andrews West expansion to allow work on the school to begin.
Another route considered, which avoided the arboretum, was ruled out due to issues including flood risk and constraints on St Andrews University, which owns the land.
The Tree Register of the British Isles, which records 28 of the trees at North Haugh as “champion” specimens, is among the objectors.
Director David Alderman said the North Haugh Arboretum was a collection of great national botanical interest, with one tree unique to the UK.
He stated: “In our opinion this makes the arboretum at North Haugh a collection of national importance and, together with St Andrews Botanic Garden, one of the best botanical collections of trees in Scotland.”
Robert Mitchell, emeritus curator of the botanic garden, said it was commendable a site had been found for the school but claimed the access road would “destroy” trees of national importance.
Scottish Natural Heritage is concerned by the potential impact on legally protected species including badgers, red squirrels and bats and recommended licensing and mitigation issues be considered before work is carried out.
A planning application for the school is expected in the new year.
“We would ask those objecting to the road to look into the history of the decade-long fight that’s already created so much division