By Cheryl Wood

MORE PRESSURE has been put on Fife Council to begin work on creating a new secondary school in the north of Fife.

Newport and Wormit councillor Tim Brett said now was the time to redraw catchment areas and allow pupils in his ward and those round about to go to school closer to home.

His words were echoed by members of the East Area Development Committee who said action to bring a fourth secondary school to East Fife was long overdue.

The push adds to the recent call from fellow councillor Maggie Taylor for the daily journey for Tay Bridgehead pupils to and from Madras College to be brought to an end.

Ms Taylor said that as well as losing teaching time because of travel between Madras’ two sites—heavily criticised by an HMIe report—Tay Bridgehead pupils were suffering as a result of their long school journeys.

Now that the Fife Structure Plan had been approved setting out the need for another secondary school, Mr Brett said work should begin on bringing it to fruition.

He said, “There is going to be a significant number of new houses coming into the east area, including the Tay Bridgehead area and Cupar.

“Fife Council needs to use this as an opportunity to review the catchment areas for all secondary schools in East Fife.

“Bell Baxter High School is full already and with the new houses to be built it will not be able to cope.”

He pointed to Balmullo—currently in Bell Baxter’s zone—as an example of where the catchment area could be redrawn to relieve the pressure on the Cupar school.

He added, “The Labour administration has been dragging its feet on this.

“A year ago the School Estates Strategy was approved and subject to new housing there was to be a new school in the Tay Bridgehead area.

“To the best of my knowledge nothing has happened. Councillor Taylor and I have not been approached about sites and I would certainly hope that the local plan will have sites identified for discussion.”

Although the draft St Andrews and East Fife Local Plan contains no site suggestions, councillors have now been assured discussion on the subject is to take place within Fife Council.

Members of the East Area Development Committee were informed that a meeting was to take place shortly between Development Services and education officers to decide how the proposal for a fourth secondary school in East Fife should be set out in the finalised plan.