Pipeland school challengers raise worries over road to new Madras

Protesters behind the legal challenge which halted construction of a new Madras College at Pipeland have raised concerns about the proposed road to the new site.

Stepal said an alternative route from the A91 to Langlands, which had been ruled out, would be shorter and less expensive.

St Andrews West LLP has applied for planning permission for the first section of the link road to the site, where Fife Council intends to build the £50 million secondary school.

Several objections have been lodged against the route, including one from St Andrews Community Council, which said the other option would be shorter and safer.

Stepal’s response was submitted as a general comment rather than an objection. The group says the proposed link is adequate but there are issues with its route and its access at the A91.

Secretary Sandra Thomson said members were pleased with the location for the new school but that, as part of the western expansion proposal, “access by road and by walkers and cyclists to this development is extremely important”.

She wrote: “We are not convinced that the current scheme is sufficiently robust for all future use and we are especially concerned about the proposed crossing of the A91.”

She said the proposed route across the North Haugh would cut the area in two, stopping any unified development and that pupils might find a shorter route to Station Park across the A91 anyway.

A pedestrian and cyclist bridge across the A91 would be vital, she said, as a toucan crossing would be dangerous and would cause tailbacks.