COVID HALTS SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

Building work on the £58 million replacement for Madras College in St Andrews had to be stopped following a concerning Covid-19 outbreak, it has emerged.

Construction on the site at Langlands has been progressing well over the past year and hopes are still high it will be finished this summer to replace the school’s current campuses in South Street and Kilrymont Road.

However, sources close to the project have revealed that a number of site managers and workers have tested positive for coronavirus and they are now self-isolating.

At least one person is understood to have been hospitalised due to their condition.

Questions have been raised by the workforce about what measures are being taken on the site to control the spread of the virus amid suggestions people are travelling from all over Scotland to work on the new school.

Head of education and children’s services at Fife Council, Shelagh McLean, confirmed the local authority had been advised of positive Covid cases on the new Madras College construction site last week.

She added: “Following current national guidance, our contractors are liaising with the relevant authorities to ensure that appropriate advice is received and actioned.

“Our understanding is that, as a precaution, the site was closed for deep cleaning last Friday and work re-started on Monday.”

The school is being built by BAM Construction to accommodate 1,450 pupils, with the new facility including all-weather pitches and new access routes including a footpath and cyclepath.

BAM Construction has been approached for comment on the Covid-19 outbreak but has not responded, although the project has been deemed “essential” to allow workers to continue on site.

Documents seen by The Courier suggest the estimated date of handover to Fife Council has already been moved from a date in April to July 30 due to the Covid shutdown.

It remains unclear what impact further restrictions since then, and indeed Covid on site, will have on those timescales.

Source: The Courier