New Madras College could be too small by time it is built, claim locals.

SCHOOL: Housing plans in catchment area could push up pupil roll beyond capacity, claims community council

The new Madras College could be too small by the time it is built, it has been claimed.

St Andrews Community Council believes the capacity of the proposed school – and the scale of house building in the town – makes it “very likely” it will be inadequate when it opens in three years.

Hundreds of new houses planned for St Andrews and surrounding villages will bring more pupils than the 1,450 the £40 million school at Langlands is designed for, the group claims.

The community council was responding to Fife Council’s planning application for the school, which has yet to be determined.

The authority has insisted architects have designed the three-storey building to allow for expansion.

Community council planning convener Penny Uprichard said: “The concern is that the considerable number of approved and residential developments in the school’s catchment area will see its capacity quickly exceeded, possibly even before it has opened in 2021.”

More than 1,000 houses are envisaged in the St Andrews West expansion, with 370 already given the green light for construction at Craigtoun North.

A large residential development is in the pipeline for Guardbridge. Miss Uprichard also highlighted small-scale development in surrounding villages, from Strathkinness to Kingsbarns.

She said: “These sites, and possibly others as yet unknown, coupled with a desire to return properties in St Andrews currently functioning as HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) to family use, would appear to make it very likely that the school’s proposed capacity will be immediately inadequate.”

She added: “Constant piecemeal expansion will negate any idea of sustainability, with negative impact on, among other things, the environment, transport and traffic management.”

Council head of education and children’s services, Peter McNaughton, said: “The school roll at September 2017 was 1,273 pupils.

“The replacement Madras College has been designed to accommodate 1,450 pupils but the layout allows for future extension, should this be required.

“We will continue to monitor school rolls on an ongoing basis.”

A new school for St Andrews was made a priority for investment by the council 10 years ago, following criticism of Madras College being split between two campuses in South Street and Kilrymont Road.

Langlands became the preferred site after a successful Court of Session challenge saw planning permission quashed for land at Pipeland.

“

We will continue to monitor school rolls on an ongoing basis.

An artist’s impression of how the new Madras College in St Andrews could look.