Fife Park to be demolished

Plans to demolish accommodation at Fife Park has raised concern.

This seems to be primarily the result of minimal communication from the university about what will replace the formerly self-catered housing, especially because of the shortage of low-cost options available to students. Fife Park is currently one of the less expensive options available to students so many are worried the changes may limit the options available to those with slightly less money to spare.

For those that don’t know, each house in Fife Park currently boasts six bedrooms and shared bathroom and kitchen facilities. However, the houses are over fourty years old and Fife Council has informed the university that work is required to ensure that the accommodation meets the requirements for a new HMO licence in 2014. The university has since decided that it is more cost-effective to completely rebuild Fife Park than to upgrade what already exists, and so is revisiting plans that were approved in 2008 by Fife council.

These plans suggest that there will be a mix of rooms available, with 135 in flats with shared bathroom facilities and 189 being single, en- suite bedrooms, in a similar style to those currently available at David Russell Apartments, although these plans are not yet fixed.

Concerns also centre around the fact that the temporary closure of the housing may increase the strain on the existing accommodation as the university continues to expand.

The University is still in the process of clarifying plans but it is thought that the new Fife Park will be ready for the 2015/6 academic year.

Image courtesy of st-andrews.ac.uk