New Portobello High School - PPAG Judicial Review

[storky]

[Makaveli]

[tufty]

desperation? I think that would be producing a poster of a child knocked over on the road, without due care and consideration to the design and message.

[seashell]

A Ode on Desperation

A desperate member of PPAG
Nipped out to the park for a fag.
All around she did stare
But found it empty and bare
For despite all her proud boast
That the park did play host
To folk from ‘cross the Porty-verse:
The truth was quite the reverse.
Which saddened that desperate member of PPAG.

In the depths of despair
She cried “this ain’t fair!”
And threw the fag down to the ground
Before taking one last look around:
But nary a dog walker was to be found
(no change there)
Only to her consternation
The fag started a conflagration,
And fueled by her desperation
It consumed the unfortunate member of PPAG.

And before anybody says anything, I am not suggesting self-immolation, by PPAG members or anyone else.

[Mark Cameron]

[seanie]

[Mark Cameron]

This is good news Seanie.

We need to make sure a signifivant number of supporters of the school attend - will this be held in the usual hall or is the town hall an option?

Do we know whether the chair is pro school?

[wangi]

[seanie]

[Mark Cameron]

reminds me of that immortal line from Jaws......"you're gonna need a bigger boat"

[bellybabe]

I would have signed that petition if I'd known about it. Will be in attendance if at all possible. It's high time the PCC represented the community as a whole.
BB

[Bob Jefferson]

We only needed 50 signatures, the other 20 or so were just an insurance policy.

[Doris]

A quote from Save Porty Park's facebook page:

"There are posters around Portobello suggesting that PPAG's appeal will delay the school by 6 years. This not true. So far, the court action has not caused any delay. The Council could not begin work until they appropriated the land and they have not formally completed that process - a process they began in October 2011. They don't seem to be in much of a hurry, do they?"

Oh dear, more mis-information for their supporters perhaps?

[seanie]

Do you want to know what that exhaustive formal process entails?

Under the 1959 Town Planning Act the Council's intention to appropriate must be advertised twice inviting responses. An advert was duly placed two Tuesdays in succession, in the Scotsman I think, back in October.

And having received responses, the Council are required to consider them.

And that's it.

That's the full extent of what the Council has to do.

[Makaveli]

[seanie]

[Pal of Porty]

As a local trader I am aware of at least two well know local shops that have been threatened by a key PPAG player with loss of trade if they continue to display the 'support the school' posters.

I need 3 large posters to display in my shop can anyone supply me? Any PPAG member wishing to come in and reprimand me can feel free.

[Makaveli]

Loss of trade? There is only about half a dozen or so in PPAG!!!!

Seriously though that is pretty disgusting behaviour if they have been in threatening shops with a boycott!!! What next will they be sending the heavies in to extort money out them to pay their legal costs?

[Bob Jefferson]

[wangi]

[Bob Jefferson]

Print, distribute as you consider appropriate.

andy.pdf

(30.93 KiB) Downloaded 432 times

[Bob Jefferson]

Even the most ardent PPAG supporter must now see that it is a hopeless cause. When Andy Wightman signs a petition, asking you to drop the appeal, it really does spell the end. On Easter Monday, let's call a truce. Please, drop the appeal and let's get on with the rest of our lives.

[rmolehusband]

More ProPAGanda in the Scotsman today.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/school-row-1-2223889

They're now pegging their support off the number of objections received to the school panning application. I suspect this is still wildly optimistic but at least, and it's a small concession, they have publicly admitted they hold very much a minority view.

I notice that Ros "build it on another Park" Sutherland is not on the list of signatories. Has she parted company with PPAG?

[seanie]

Bit of a Freudian slip to say the school will be delayed months rather than years.

Clearly they're not expecting their appeal to succeed, just drag things out.

Just as well Court of Session judges never read the Scotsman eh?

[gillian]

Did Ros Sutherland really say that the school should be built on another park?

[rmolehusband]

[seanie]

PPAG also suggested Bingham Park, the Jewel and Greenbelt land as suitable alternative sites for PHS.

It's recorded in the 2006 report on consultation responses.

[Makaveli]

So how can they so unashamedly keep banging on about being an environmental group when they are in fact NIMBY's in their truest form?

The hypocrisy is mind blowing!!!!

[seashell]

That letter is also grammatically incorrect....

It refers to Porty Park and then to 'other suitable brownfield sites'.
Since when was Porty Park a brownfield site?
So now they are not only factually incorrect, but also ignorant of the Queen's English. You would think that if you were sending a letter off to the Scotman you would get somebody vaguely literate to check it over for you first.

BTW - just look at the outrageous 5th response from Ghost, who is openly praising the bully-boy tactics PPAG employ. Pathetic.

[Porty]

Wow that is a great contribution from Andy Wightman, surely it must register with the non-hardcore PPAG?

As for PPAG bullying shopkeepers, as bad as they are, I find it hard to believe, is there any truth in it? Did Findlay's and Mica remove window posters? Was on the high street yesterday and saw the stationers was still well postered.

I ought to be able to find out if anything went down, as I was responsible for contacting the owner of Shapes to ask about using his other, empty, shop unit (Southfield Stationers). I will ask him if had contact with anyone from PPAG since his generous donation?

I should say our phone call (Shapes and I) lasted all of two minutes. Soon as he found out the purpose he said "the appeal shoud be dropped" I got half way through asking him for use of the shop and he offered before I'd finished. The owners/agents of two other empty units were also amenable.

[Bob Jefferson]

I was out for a walk earlier and it's great to see our posters all over Portobello. Some people are using the original 'Dear PPAG' one, some have printed their own copies of the newer ones, while others are using posters their own kids have designed. They are in local shops and homes all over town. There's a real feeling of solidarity in the community, people who don't normally get involved in local issues but realising that this is something we all need to get behind. The lovely ladies in Annie and Belle knew all about it and had already signed the petition when Emily and I went in for coffee this morning. It's a real shame that PPAG have resorted to lies and dirty tricks but it just shows how desperate they are. Even their own supporters must see now that it's all over. I don't think any of us particularly want to witness their death throes. We just want an end to this lunacy.

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]

The dirty tricks would soon be forgotten if the hardcore would concede gracefully. Perhaps I am naive but the bright and decent people on the PPAG periphery are bound to be swayed by the opinion of Andy Wightman and others. Along with the strenght of feeling in the community.
The core of the group are deliberately spinning the judgment so as it appears different to what it actually is.

Enough is enough folks, let the kids have their School, please pretty please!! Come back into the fold.

[Bob Jefferson]

I agree. There must be a lot of people out there who originally gave their support to PPAG, for whatever reason, who must regret that decision now. PPAG's reputation is at absolute rock-bottom and some of their recent actions are just beyond the pale. The truth about the posters needs to come out and we need statements from the traders concerned. Similarly, there is no way that Ros Sutherland should get away with the email she circulated to CC members and others. I've been too busy the last couple of days to give it much thought but I'm not backing down until she retracts it and issues me with an apology.

[Porty]

Well I'm in Porty tomorrow after about 11. Think you are bringing PoP some posters, let's meet up and get the skinny on what's been going on.