A new single-site Madras College in St Andrews will now not be completed until August 2017 at the earliest.
The timetable follows the decision of senior Fife councillors to further review site options rather than press ahead with the controversial redevelopment of the existing building at Kilrymont Road.
The inability to meet an existing construction deadline of August 2016 was confirmed on Thursday by Fife Council’s executive director for education and learning, Kenneth Greer. He told councillors that anything but pushing ahead with the Kilrymont redevelopment proposal immediately would lead to further delay.
Whilst Kilrymont could still emerge as the only option, the uncertain timetable means that after more than a decade of debate none of the existing pupils at Madras are likely to enjoy the benefits of the completed new school.
At the inaugural meeting of Fife Council’s new executive committee in Fife House, councillors discussed two options to press ahead with the re-modelling of the crumbling 1960s-built Kilrymont campus or to consult the community again on different site options.
Moving that a further review of site options be implemented, including Station Park and the university-owned ”pond site” at North Haugh, Fife Council administration leader Labour councillor Alex Rowley said: ”We have to get this right for St Andrews and Tay Bridgehead and the future generations who deserve a state-of-the-art building for their education.
”It’s vital that we have the backing of the local community for this important decision. That’s why we’ve decided to make sure all the alternatives are reviewed so that we get the right site for a new Madras that is fit for purpose. We will be taking swift action on this issue and speaking to all the relevant parties, including St Andrews University, as quickly as possible to move this forward.”
Independent Cupar councillor Bryan Poole, who is responsible for education on the new executive committee, said the process would move forward ”as quickly as possible” but he did not want to ”get tied down with dates”.
He added: ”We are committed to ending the uncertainty for the local community, teachers and pupils and taking a decision that is right for St Andrews and Tay Bridgehead.
”Given the background to this project we will want to take the school and wider community with us at every stage of this project and find the right solution as soon as it’s practical to do so.”
Tim Brett, the leader of the Fife Liberal Democrats and Tay Bridgehead councillor, seconded the Labour leader’s motion for site reviews.
He said it was ”unfortunate” there appeared to be a split in the St Andrews community over Kilrymont.
It was important that discussions moved forward in an ”open and transparent way” and a clear timetable was required, he said.
But leader of the opposition and former leader of the administration, SNP councillor Peter Grant, said it was unlikely that the council would get more than 50% of the population of St Andrews to agree about anything.
It had been the previous administration’s strong aspiration to build a new ‘super-Madras’ on the Wester Langlands site in conjunction with St Andrews University, but when this fell through last August, Kilrymont had been viewed as the most practical and cost-effective alternative.
Mr Grant expressed concern that the Labour motion would not clarify the alternative sites being considered or commit to a timetable for completion. However, Mr Grant’s motion, backed by fellow SNP councillor Brian Goodall, that a commitment be given to August 2016 completion and August 2017 at the latest was rejected by 13 votes to three.