An organisation that objected to the choice of Pipeland Farm as the site of a proposed new Madras College in St Andrews is “very disappointed” that a legal challenge against the proposal has failed.
St Andrews Preservation Trust, which contributed financially to the STEPAL legal challenge, said it felt that convincing arguments against Pipeland had been “set aside”.
The Courier told last week how a judicial review has backed Fife Council’s plan to build the £42.7 million secondary on green belt land to the south of St Andrews.
Following a two-day hearing at the Court of Session in January, Lord Doherty published his findings on Friday and rejected the bid by St Andrews Environmental Protection Association Ltd (STEPAL).
Graham Wynd, chairman of St Andrews Preservation Trust, said: “The St Andrews Preservation Trust has been staunch in opposing Pipeland as the location for the new Madras College.
“The trust feels that convincing arguments were advanced in the judicial review for Fife Council’s site selection process to be set aside and it is naturally very disappointed at the judgement announced.
“Although the trust was not a party to the review, which was brought by STEPAL, it supported the action and closely followed its progress.”
Both the trust and, as individuals, many of its members contributed to STEPAL’s legal costs. There is strong opposition in the St Andrews community to the choice of Pipeland.
“If the council does build the new school there, the trust considers that school users, neighbouring residents, hospital users, citizens of St Andrews and the public at large will be subject to serious inconvenience, nuisance and safety risks.
“Further, the development will blight the amenity of neighbours and patients and the appearance of the southern hillside; it would also set a precedent for development sprawl in the green belt.”
Following the long fight, the leader of Fife Council, David Ross, welcomed the outcome of the review, as did Parent Voice campaigners, who hope this will now allow the council to deliver a new state-of-the-art school.
STEPAL have said they will consider whether to appeal the court’s decision.