Next Step In Madras Appeal

Campaigners fighting plans for a new-build Madras College on greenbelt land are taking their appeal one step further.

STEPAL will argue their case at a full hearing next year if a provisional hearing today is successful. Fife Council and Parent Voice want the school to be built at Pipeland, saying they have the support of 80% of parents. Fife Council says work will commence immediately if the appeal is not upheld.

Derek Brown, Head of Education at the Council, said: "I want to reassure everyone we have the planning permission needed to commence work as soon as the legal challenge is resolved. While our plans may have been put on hold, the necessary background work has been done and our teams are prepared to pick things up again as soon as the judicial process is complete and permission is given to continue."

"I'd like to stress that pupils and staff have been involved in this process from the beginning. The majority of responses to that consultation were in favour of building a new school at Pipeland. As in any consultation there were those who did not get the outcome they wanted but that is the case in any democratic process. They had the opportunity to make their voices and opinions know during the planning application process which followed.

"I know from being in and around the school that the mood of the majority of pupils and staff is that they just want the school to be built as soon as possible."

STEPAL members have always maintained that they have two objectives:

• To avoid unnecessary incursion into the highly sensitive and valued Green Belt environment of the landscape setting of the town of St Andrews.
• To ensure that all the pupils of the new Madras College enjoy an excellent educational experience.