The University of St Andrews wants to help “take the heat” out of the housing market in the town with plans for new affordable accommodation for staff and students.
The ancient Fife university is to move ahead with its plans to build new, affordable housing for its staff and postgraduate students on the eastern edge of St Andrews.
It has now submitted a pre-application notice to Fife Council for a 64-home development on the five-acre site known as The Grange, which is currently farm land owned by the university.
The proposal is to build two and three-bedroom homes which would be offered to postgraduate students, junior staff and other staff on short term contracts at mid-market rentals.
St Andrews is one of the most pressured housing areas in Scotland. Recent studies by Fife Council, the university and the St Andrews Town Commission on Housing have recommended that efforts should be made to provide more student accommodation, and more affordable housing for early career staff and postgraduate students with families.
In March, the university confirmed it was to invest £70 million in new student residences and refurbishment to provide an additional 900 student beds across St Andrews.
The university already offers more accommodation per head than any other in Scotland but this will be the largest single expansion for more than a decade.
Included in the plan is a major new residence at Albany Park, an expansion of three halls and major refurbishment work in other buildings.
It will be funded by equity release schemes with private sector partners to ensure the university doesn’t have to divert “scarce” resources from its world renowned teaching and research programmes.
In tandem with this major investment in student housing, it is hoped the proposed development at The Grange will help take some of the heat out of the housing market in central St Andrews.
A public consultation on The Grange proposals will take place this month.
