University Plans for 700 bed Accommodation approved

On Wednesday 13 December, Fife Council’s North East Fife planning committee unanimously agreed to the University of St Andrews and its partner Campus Living Villages’ (CLV) multi-million student accommodation plans at Albany Park. 

Submitted earlier this year, the University’s plans outline a 6 building 703 bed accommodation which seeks to take pressure off local housing stock. The former Albany Park accommodation, which was demolished in 2020, has been the site of long-awaited redevelopment plans since its demolition, with the University citing ‘the pandemic, worldwide economic downturn, and the subsequent hike in the cost of building materials’ as factors which thwarted original planning.

Original design plans have been revised by both the University and CLV to increase the number of beds from 672 to 703, with more than a third of the student residence being standard rooms, priced lower than the remaining en-suite rooms. The proposed accommodation complex will be spread across 6 housing blocks (A-F), alongside 113 parking spaces with 5 of these being accessible bays.

In a planning statement from May this year, Chief Operating Officer, Quaestor and Factor Derek Watson, stated: “The development at Albany Park is key to the University’s strategy to provide more accommodation for our students and ease the pressure on housing stock in St Andrews. Despite recent volatility in the markets, particularly the construction industry, we have remained committed and optimistic this plan can become a reality.” 

Following the approved plans, work is believed to begin in Spring 2024.

Photo from University of St Andrewws