Parent campaigners are celebrating after the Scottish Government opened the way to a new single-site Madras College at Pipeland in St Andrews.
Officials have confirmed Fife Council’s decision to build the school will not be “called-in” for consideration by its planners, even though it will be on greenbelt land and depart from the local development plan.
They ruled the “wider community benefits outweigh the divergence from the development plan in this case” and stated that the council has given “sound reasons” for arriving at its decision.
The planning application in principle was approved by the full Fife Council on April 3, delighting pro-Pipeland campaigners who have been pushing for a replacement for the dilapidated split-site facilities at Kilrymont and South Street.
However, Pipeland objectors expressed deep disappointment that the Government will not get involved.
They fear the development will destroy the nationally-important landscape character of St Andrews and set a precedent for further development in the area.
Objectors also believe more effort should be made to push for a ruled-out site on the western edge of town.
Chris Wallard, a spokesman for pro-Pipeland campaign group Parent Voice, welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement, which paves the way for Fife Council to press on and lodge a full planning application for the Pipeland site.
He told The Courier: “We are delighted to hear that the Scottish Government has decided not to call-in this decision, and our many hundreds of supporters will be too.
“The full council has overwhelmingly endorsed a new Madras at Pipeland, and the Scottish Government has decided they have no objection.
“As we have always said, it’s the only available option, and at every stage common sense has prevailed, after a full and open debate.
“The democratic process has reached a resounding verdict over the principle of building a new school and we’re hugely grateful to the government ministers and council members who have worked hard to get to this point.
“This is another important step towards a desperately needed new school. The time for argument is over we hope the community will now come together to help create final plans for a school we can all be proud of.
“We look forward to a full planning application being submitted as soon as possible.”
Fife Council leader Councillor David Ross said: “I welcome today’s announcement that the planning application for a new secondary school on the Pipelands Farm site won’t be called in by the Scottish Government.
“This administration has always been committed to building a much needed replacement for Madras College and today’s announcement brings that a step closer.
“I know this has been a controversial issue but no-one disputes the need for a new school and this clears the way to let us concentrate on delivering that new school.”
St Andrews Labour Fife councillor Brian Thomson, said: “The confirmation received from the Scottish Government that the planning application for a new Madras College has been cleared back to Fife Council, for its own determination, is fantastic news for the children and young people of St Andrews and the wider Madras College catchment area.
“Local children, teachers, other staff and users of the community use centre have had to put up with sub-standard accommodation for far too long, and this news is a significant step towards the delivery of a much needed new school.
“I fully appreciate that there will be some in the St Andrews community who will be disappointed with the Scottish Government’s decision. However, the planning application to establish the principle of developing a new Madras College at the Pipeland site has now been through a fully democratic process, and I hope that the outcome is respected.
“The proposed new school will now be the subject of a detailed planning application, which will be considered by councillors in due course.”
Scottish Directorate for Local Government and Communities Planning and Architecture official, Iain McLeod, confirmed the news in a letter to Fife Council.
He said: “It is not the Scottish Ministers’ intention to intervene in this application by either issuing a direction restricting the granting of planning permission or by calling in the application for their own determination.
“Accordingly, (the) council are hereby authorised to deal with the application in the manner it thinks fit.”
In its conclusion, the Scottish Government said “reasoned justification” had been provided by the council for the approval of the planning application at this location.
It concluded: “On balance the council considers the development is acceptable, noting that the wider community benefits outweigh the divergence from the development plan in this case.
“The council has given sound reasons for arriving at its decision. It does not appear that a conflict of interest has influenced the council’s decision-making, and it has taken account of the issues raised. There is no reason to believe the council has acted inappropriately.
“The impacts are local to the St Andrews area of Fife and do not appear to raise issues of national importance that would merit intervention by Scottish Ministers.”