New Portobello High School - PPAG win legal appeal

[Franck]

I'm sure it's not news to people on here, particularly as Andy Wightman (I think) has been helping out PFANS, but this makes interesting reading>


Did the decision take into account precedence of the council and it's haphazard use/sales of common good land?If it's good enough for Waverley and East Market Street, it's good enough for Porty park, no?

[wangi]

[Pal of Porty]

I think we have to find a way to get the school on the Park, whether by appeal or some of the other methods previously mentioned. An extensive feasability study concluded the Park was, although not ideal, clearly the best space available from over 20 options studied. At all costs a rebuild/refit on the current site has got to be avoided or we will end up with another '50 years worth' of children getting educated without any access to green space and outdoor sports facilities in a building that cannot possibly be suitable for 1400 kids plus staff.

[AndyB]

[portygeoff]

I am looking to see what our MSP is going to do. He is in a position of power and he has the backing of the vast majority of his constituants. Time for Kenny to step up to the plate and use the powers that his constituants have given him.

[wangi]

Exactly. Don't let this decision result in the school being ripped out of our community.

[seanie]

I think the suggestion's just a panic reaction. People were shocked by the court judgement, and there's a superficial logic to it. They've got plans all drawn up for a new school in Craigmillar but no money to build it because the redevelopment's stalled, whereas they've got money for a new PHS but no site. But I can't see it getting very far as an idea because there are lots of difficulties when you start to think it through.

[Porty]

[Porty]

[Mark Cameron]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Underscore]

I'm now very worried that my children wont have a school worth attending.

[PortySeahawks]

The idea of a super school with Castlebrae makes no sense to me.

It would mean removing Portobello HS from the centre of our community. Would it even be Portobello HS if this happened? We cannot allow these NIMBY's to drive a school out-width our community. The councillor who is quoted in today's EEN shouldn't be mentioning this idea in the press.

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-eveni ... -1-2523528

Saw that Kezia Dugdale had submitted a question over the new School at First Minister's Questions today but was sadly not called upon during the allotted time. Good to see.

https://twitter.com/kdugdalemsp/status/ ... 1336907776

[Franck]

[Chas]

[fresian]

Chas, it could just have come down to areas where different points of law actually contradict each other. The original court ruling, which was made by a judge who, I assume, had some understanding of law, came down against PPAG. The law is indeed an ass.

[Chas]

[Bob Jefferson]

I wish people would stop saying that the land was 'gifted'. It was sold for £25000, the market value at the time. Millions of pounds by today's value. It may not make a difference in terms of the Common Good status of the land but it irks me that this myth is perpetuated. The owner was almost certainly a shrewd businessman, not a philanthropist.

[lg1726]

[seashell]

Ah, colour of door would come under the category of 'neighbourhood burdens' - and believe me, there are similar burdens in existance. A real burden can be created in any constitutive deed, not just dispositions, so there isn't any need for a price to be paid.

[Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

Can someone point me towards the deeds for Portobello Park?

[seashell]

They'll be available from NAS - National Archives of Scotland, Bob.

[Bob Jefferson]

Don't we have a PDF?

[Stephen Dishon]

Just out of curiosity are we saying we will now accept the council selling the whole park in order to build on the bit we want or are we hoping the council only sell the bit we want to a “trust”?

[wangi]

[gillian]

Kenny MacAskill replying to emails very quickly, hope his actions are as prompt.

[Bob Jefferson]

[fresian]

Ran by this way last night on the way home, I noticed there is a small Gas governor building located in the south west corner of the park. I assume that this is also in contravention of the deeds??

[wangi]

Pupils at Portobello High School have created the following page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SavePortyHigh

[wangi]

[Porty]

Great work Rathbone and Wangi- the latter's summation is commendable.

[mr magnolia]

so we need to find him or his forsaids, agree with them that CEC can have the land back once it reverts to the forsaids following the start of building works, and then start building!

[wangi]

[Mark Cameron]

I hope Sheila and Maureen are looking at hiring the Town Hall for this as I suspect interest is going to be huge.