The University  that last year ousted the London School of Economics to gain one place, ranking fourth after Oxford, Cambridge and London's Imperial College, has put its ambitious £46m new library spend on hold to adopt a more modest £7m upgrade (furniture, fixtures, carpet, lighting and heating) with an additional £7m to be spent on a new library store and on improving the books collection.

The news comes as Dr Richardson (right) is under the limelight for a £4m refurbishment of her official residence. Dr Richardson cites "financial constraints" as the reason behind the decision. 

"In the light of the fiscal and planning uncertainty we face, it is my view and that of my Principal's Office colleagues that we cannot at this point commit the institution to spending £46m on refurbishing the fabric of our central library," while acknowledging "how disappointing it is for all of us to have to delay the realisation of our ambition to have a library truly worthy of this great university."

Student Association president, Andrew Keenan (left) is quoted saying: "For over half a decade, the university has been promising a full-scale renewal of the main library to replace the current building, ranked as one of the worst in the country. The latest plans – as boasted of in the university's advertising – had envisaged a £46m project. These plans are now to be cancelled, and replaced with an expensive redecoration."

A St Andrews University spokesperson stressed: "This is an interim move. We still have a full grip on the big vision for the library. We will continue to launch our fundraising campaign in preparation for our 600th anniversary next year."

Difficult times: delayed pledge payments
The University is still awaiting an £8m gift, pledged two years ago by Vinod Sekhar of the Sekhar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Malaysian based Petra Group. A portion was for a scholarship allowing some of Asia's brightest students to study at St Andrews, the donation believed to be the largest single amount pledged to a Scottish university. The new medical building, completed earlier this year, cost £45m.

Further north at Aberdeen University,  a £57m flagship new Library project is expected to be complete for the 2011 academic year