Work on road begins as Madras plan in limbo

School still awaiting planning permission

Concern has been voiced that a flagship and long-awaited school is yet to receive planning permission, as work begins on construction of the access road.

Fife Council intends to have a new £50 million Madras College school ready by early summer 2021.

It is estimated it will take two years to build the 1,450-pupil school but the project is yet to be given the green light by a planning committee.

A deadline for determining the St Andrews West expansion master plan, which must be approved before work on the school can begin, has been extended to December.

Construction workers arrived at the North Haugh last Monday to start building part of the St Andrews West link road, which will allow access to the school site at Langlands.

The fact that planning permission has not yet been granted for the school is obviously a bit of a concern

St Andrews councillor Brian Thomson said: “While it’s great to see progress on the ground, the fact that planning permission has not yet been granted for the school is obviously a bit of a concern.

“It’s also concerning that the St Andrews West consortium has recently requested a three-month extension for consideration of the master plan until December.”

The site of the school forms part of the St Andrews West strategic development zone, where more than 1,000 houses are planned, as well as university expansion, a business park, employment land and community facilities.

Pam Ewen, the council’s senior manager in planning, said: “Both planning applications for the new secondary school and the larger development area across St Andrews West are still being considered by the planning authority.”

Alan Paul, property services senior manager, said: “The council remains committed to delivering the new Madras as soon as possible and we continue to target that delivery during the academic year 2020-21.”

Councillor Brian Thomson.