FIFE COUNCIL is to begin drawing up plans for a new secondary school in St Andrews’ green belt, despite the threat of a legal challenge.
Consultation on the principle of erecting a replacement for Madras College on land at Pipeland Farm will begin this month.
Work will also start on preparing a planning application as the local authority strives to meet a target date of autumn 2016 for opening the long-awaited new facility.
However, the Labour-led council’s education spokesman Councillor Bryan Poole admitted there was no guarantee the project would ever be granted planning permission.
The Pipeland site recently chosen over redeveloping the school’s existing Kilrymont campus as the preferred option is on green-belt land designated in the St Andrews and East Fife Local Plan.
Previous proposals by its owner Muir Group to build houses there were vigorously opposed by townspeople, who campaigned to have it protected by the local plan.
Scottish planning policy dictates that green belts can only be built on in exceptional circumstances when there is no alternative.
Several other sites around the town have been considered but discounted for various reasons.
Mr Poole said: “I accept there is risk, but there’s also a very strong case for putting the school on this site.
“In my view, there’s no alternative site for a school fit for the 21st century.
“There are no guarantees, but if we can move ahead, there is a realistic opportunity to have the school built and pupils in by autumn 2016 and it’s worth taking a chance on that.”
Concerns were voiced by SNP councillor David Mogg that the development could be further held up by objections during the planning process.
He said: “The time scale depends on a nice, smooth passage and my experience of planning in north-east Fife is that few proposals go through smoothly.”
Detailed information is to be submitted with the first-stage planning application in an attempt to assure potential objectors and prevent a challenge delaying or thwarting the project.
Manager of the council’s schools building programme, Colin McCredie, said: “We cannot forecast what any opposition will be or what any challenge would be.
“All we can do is try to ensure that everything Fife Council does is correct, by the book and sufficiently thorough to withstand detailed examination.”
The way was paved by the council’s education, social and communities scrutiny committee for consultation and planning to begin yesterday.
The executive committee had set the ball rolling last month, but its decision was called in by SNP councillors concerned about costs and the planning process.
Mr Poole stated the cost of building at Pipeland would be £41 million and that additional funds would come from revenue savings from having Madras College on a single site instead of two campuses and the sale of the Kilrymont campus.
SNP education spokesman Douglas Chapman remained concerned over funding, as increasing the budget from £40 million is yet to be approved, but said that consultation should proceed regardless.
After the meeting, St Andrews SNP councillor Keith McCartney said the call-in, which he led, had brought more information into the public domain ahead of consultation.
He added: “I am delighted that Fife Council will begin the planning process for a new Madras at Pipeland this month and that will run alongside the wider consultation with pupils, parents, staff and other statutory consultees for the new school on the Pipeland site.”
The committee also requested confirmation of pupil participation in the consultation process, detailed time scales, regular updates on the project and information about the land purchase cost of £1.8 million and other costs as soon as possible.
cpeebles@thecourier.co.uk