A petition raised by St Andrews Environmental Protection Association Limited (Stepal), which questioned the legality of the decision to grant permission for the £42.7 million school at Pipeland, was refused in March last year.

However, the project was put on hold when a procedural hearing date was announced to take place on January 12th and 13th.

Following a lengthy consultation process, planning permission in principle was issued in April 2014 for erection of a school next to St Andrews Community Hospital to replace Madras College’s two campuses at South Street and Kilrymont Road.

However, Stepal, whose directors include former Madras rector Lindsay Matheson and former teachers Mary Jack and Sandra Thomson, argued the local authority had acted incorrectly by ruling out the North Haugh site.

Following the judicial review a year ago, Lord Doherty said no other site was suitable and available for a replacement.

He concluded the council was entitled to approach matters in the way it did and that if the North Haugh and Station Park site was unsuitable then it mattered “not a jot” that development there would be more consonant with the development plan than at Pipeland.

The legal challenge, which has held up construction of the school, has been criticised by those eager to see pupils in their new classrooms, including parent group Parent Voice.

It may be three months before the outcome is known.