A St Andrews University-owned site rejected by Fife Council during the debate over a new single-site Madras College is again at the centre of scrutiny.
Despite a campaign by several groups promoting the benefits of a school site on the west side of town, senior administration Fife councillors publicly ruled out the “pond site” in 2013 because they deemed it to have drainage problems and would be too expensive.
The council stated that an exchange of land deed offered by the university for the existing Madras site at South Street valued at £3.5 million was also ruled out because the North Haugh site was only valued by the district valuer (DV) at about £280,000.
But a St Andrews man has questioned the transparency of Fife Council a process which the local authority has robustly defended.
John Birkett, of Horseleys Park, contacted The Courier to say that he had received confirmation from Fife Council, through a Freedom of Information request, that no correspondence between the DV and Fife Council apparently exists.
Mr Birkett said: “Fife Council and education spokesperson Councillor Bryan Poole have always maintained that the DV vetoed an exchange of the existing 4.5-acre site of Madras College South Street for 14 acres of university North Haugh land, due to an imbalance in relative values.
“However, I have just received confirmation from Fife Council, under the useful if limited Freedom of Information Act, that they have no correspondence with the DV on such a veto, or on applying the same methodology to the North Haugh valuation, which they used for their preferred Pipeland site and which was ultimately agreed by the DV.
“Or on the fact that applying that methodology impartially to both sites would eradicate the imbalance. Or on the fact that anyway, under section four of the Disposal of Land by Local Authorities (Scotland) Regulations 2010, such an exchange is lawful irrespective of a possible imbalance in values.
“The response implies that they do not even have certified file notes of oral discussions.
“It is surely incumbent on any council to have clear written evidence justifying its stance on a crucial issue of public capital expenditure affecting its educational policy and services lasting throughout this century.”
Alan Paul, Fife Council’s property services senior manager, said: “As Mr Birkett may recall, independent valuation advice was taken from the DV to support the discussions with the university in 2010/11.
“This advice, together with advice from the council’s chief legal officer, was considered by committee prior to the decision in August 2011 by the university to withdraw from negotiations.
“Independent valuation advice was also taken from the DV prior to agreement being reached with Hermiston Securities Ltd around the acquisition of Pipeland. All of this is a matter of public record.”
A St Andrews University spokesman said: “The matter of the FoI is for Fife Council and it would be inappropriate for us to comment on its correspondence with Mr Birkett.
“On the pond site, our position remains unchanged. It’s available but the selection of a site for the school is and always has been a matter for our colleagues on Fife Council.”
Fife Council’s controversial decision to select greenbelt land Pipeland over the North Haugh pond site is the subject of a judicial review, which was heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in mid-December.
A decision is expected by the middle of this month.