Plans to build a school on playing fields in St Andrews would cause damage to one of Fife’s most famous spots, influential voices have claimed.
If Fife Council built a new single-site secondary on the Madras College fields at Station Park, it would be a disaster that could cause millions of pounds of damage to tourism and business and detract from the international allure of the Old Course, it was said.
With the eyes of the golfing world on St Andrews this week for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, vehement opposition to any proposal for a new £40 million Madras College on the site at the western entrance to the town has been expressed to The Courier by the Old Course Hotel, the Royal and Ancient and the St Andrews Links Trust.
The strongly-worded comments have been made as Fife Council continues its dialogue with North East Fife parents on 13 site options for a new single-site Madras which include Station Park, nearby Petheram Bridge, Pipelands and a number of university-owned sites.
A spokesman for the Old Course Hotel said:”We fully appreciate and support the need to find a suitable site for a new Madras College.
”However the building of a large secondary school on playing fields at Station Park at the western gateway to the town, with all the traffic congestion and safety issues this would bring would detract from one of St Andrews most iconic attractions and compromise the experience associated with the home of golf, damaging tourism and business.”
A spokesman for The R&A said:”The potential siting of a new school at Station Park would raise a number of questions and concerns which we would wish to discuss with Fife Council should this option be pursued any further.
”It is hard to imagine this would not have an impact on the iconic Old Course.”
Fife Council’s executive spokesperson for education, Councillor Bryan Poole, confirmed council Labour administration leader Councillor Alex Rowley and himself had recently held meetings with the Old Course Hotel, The R&A and the Links Trust.
”We wanted confirmation from the bodies on what their views were and the discussions we had were very helpful,”said Mr Poole.
”The R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said they had concerns about the views down the first and the 18th fairways of the Old Course.
”I respect and applaud the concerns of the Old Course Hotel. They have put significant investment into the hotel and the restoration of the iconic Hamilton Hall.”
Mr Poole said given ”significant planning issues” surrounding the Station Park site, it was now unlikely this option would be pursued further.