This "categoric assurance" was made on behalf of the St Andrews West Partnership by Kelvin Campbell, managing director of urban planners Urban Initiative, at the public unveiling of the plans on Tuesday.

Mr Campbell, who is working with the Partnership (St Andrews University, Headon Developments and other landowners), explained: "We have taken councillors out on site today and sited fork lift trucks at eight metres and 12 metres high to show that the plans do not break the historic skyline at all.

'"Eight metres is the height of a two-storey house with roof, and 12 metres is the height of a typical four-storey student residence. We believe we have answered all of people's concerns and that these plans are the best shot at doing the right thing by St Andrews."

Mr Campbell also rejected ideas of siting housing at Craigtoun or Kilrymont as '"the worst possible scenario for St Andrews."

The Partnership's plans were an "economic-led housing strategy," he said, "far more important that a blob of housing development at the edge of town."

Joe Headon, managing director of Headon Developments, added that although the St Andrews West Partnership included plans for a new Madras College to be sited on the North Haugh, he recognised that this was not a site favoured by Fife Council and that the plans could be adjusted to accommodate the school on the Langlands site.

St Andrews residents will also have another opportunity to inspect the council's Local Plan at a two-day public exhibition to be facilitated by St Andrews Community Council this weekend.

The event will be held at the Victory Memorial Hall in St Mary's Place tomorrow (Saturday), between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. so that residents can make their views known on the Local Plan before the consultation period ends on Christmas Eve.

Community councillor Ronnie Murphy told the Citizen that this was so the final plan would ''reflect the views and wishes of the local community.''

He added: ''The plans clearly show those parts of the town which could be affected by housing and commercial development."

Mr Murphy said the community council had "not yet reached a point" where it wanted to make a collective comment about the Local Plan, adding: "We want to hear what the public has to say before any final view is taken.

''It may be that, in the end, the community council does not take a view."

However, speaking to the Citizen in a personal capacity, he said that he was in favour of a new Madras College being built on the Langlands site and that parents thought this was a good idea too.

"That in itself would leave two very large pieces of ground within the town boundary,'' he explained.

''If you add those to other locations in the town, I don't think you need to locate 1000 houses on unbuilt-upon land.

''House building could largely be accommodated within the town boundaries."

Other exhibitors at the weekend event will be the St Andrews Green Belt Forum and MacDonald Estates, who will have their own displays.

St Andrews Preservation Trust was also going to be represented but, at a meeting on Tuesday evening, the majority of trustees voted to stay out of the event.

Trust chairman Elma Penney explained: ''We don't want it to appear as though we are endorsing the Macdonald Estates plans.''