A difference of opinion has emerged over whether a legal challenge to plans for a new Madras College in St Andrews is behind a delay in delivering the project.
A report to Fife Council’s executive committee that gives an update on Fife’s capital investment plan for 2014-15 stated proposed costs have risen from £40 million to £42.7m and the proposed completion date is anticipated to be 2017 instead of 2016.
The report said: “The budget for this project has been realigned to reflect the current projection due to the delay in project delivery attributed to the judicial review at the end of December. The detail design work is still continuing and the revised completion date is now anticipated to be in 2017.”
But St Andrews Conservative councillor Dorothea Morrison said: “The delay is more to do with planning issues and lack of information being available to officers. I’m upset about the wording.”
Councillor Bryan Poole, the council’s executive spokesperson for education, disagreed with Councillor Morrison and said the wording is accurate.
He said: “The build period for a school that size is two years … had it not been for the judicial review the school would have been completed in 2016.”
The report’s author, council executive finance director Brian Livingston, said the wording of the report had come from council officers. He could not comment further, he added.
The council’s depute leader, Lesley Laird suggested that the matter be clarified outside of the meeting.
St Andrews Environmental Protection Association Ltd (Stepal) chairman Mary Jack, treasurer Lindsay Matheson and secretary Sandra Thomson have said they are pleased with the two-day judicial review which took place at the Court of Session in December.
Stepal believes Fife Council’s decision to grant planning permission in principle for a new Madras College on greenbelt land at Pipeland was “fundamentally flawed”.
It believes the council failed to adequately consider to an option linking the university-owned North Haugh site to the council’s sports facilities at Station Park.
The Stepal directors said: “We have not, and never have, opposed the building of a new school. Better, more suitable sites are available.
“Stepal’s argument is that Fife Council failed in its duties as a planning authority by improperly ruling out these alternative sites, in contravention of the planning acts.”
The council has, however, strongly defended itself, claiming all proper procedures were followed. It says Pipeland was the only site deemed to be deliverable, available, feasible and affordable.
Pipeland has already been granted full detail planning permission by Fife Council. Lord Doherty is expected to publish his judgment within three months.