A new attempt is being made to break the impasse between Fife Council and St Andrews University over plans for a single-site replacement for Madras College.
The local authority wants to build the new school at Langlands, on land owned by the university, but a difference of opinion remains over land values.
The plans involve the council transferring land at South Street to the university, with the seat of learning, in turn, transferring the site at Langlands to the council. It was hoped the deal could be done without any money changing hands.
However, a gap in respective valuations has caused deadlock and talks have been held in a bid to end the dispute.
Scottish Government officials have been drafted in and an independent valuer has now been appointed.
With that in mind, Fife’s policy, finance and asset management committee agreed that the Langlands site remains its preferred option, although it was strongly hinted that the council is prepared to walk away from the deal should the latest effort to reach a solution falter.
The local authority still has a backup plan to refurbish and extend Madras College’s Kilrymont Road campus but Councillor Douglas Chapman, chairman of education and children’s services, said he felt both sides should give it “one final chance” to reach agreement.
Describing the situation and the need for intervention by government officials as “depressing,” he said, “The level of frustration that we all feel throughout this process is tangible. It’s sad we’ve got to the stage where we’re talking about a deal rather than the educational benefits this would bring.
“In all of this, I think we’ve lost sight of the fantastic vision we have for a world-class school that would be linked into the university in some way and the real educational objectives that we could meet.
“Everyone around the table really wanted this to succeed and we’re now in a position where we really need to take the lead from the Scottish Government.
“Maybe we should have been here a long time ago, but we are where we are. I would hate to think we would lose this superb prize, which is now in touching distance.”‘Vision’Depute council leader Elizabeth Riches said, “This has been the most frustrating and protracted set of negotiations but we mustn’t lose sight of why we’re doing this. We do have a vision here and it is a vision worth going with.”
Labour councillor Kay Morrison felt little progress has been made.
“We had a vision but we’ve had a vision for at least two years now, in pursuit of which two years of officers’ time has been devoted and a great deal of blood, sweat and tears have been put in,” she said. “I’m baffled, frustrated and almost maddened by the lack of progress and I’m no longer convinced that we’re going to make progress with the university on this.”
Ken Gourlay, head of asset and facilities management, said, “The university’s view is that they would like to see this process completed as well and hopefully, within the next week, we will be in a position to know what the valuations are and how to take this forward.”
He admitted it would be “misleading” to suggest no further hurdles might crop up, although he insisted the current problem is likely to be the “biggest” barrier.
Alluding to Mr Chapman’s comment about the school being within “touching distance,” Tory councillor Dave Dempsey feared the time may be approaching for the council to cut and run.
He said, “Mirages are also within touching distance from time to time. We were asked before to give this one final chance, we’re now asked to give it a second final chance.”
Once the valuer’s findings are known, a special meeting of the committee will be convened.