New Portobello High School- Where and how?

by **Bob Jefferson** » 02 Oct 2006, 08:18

Although I didn't attend the Scrutiny Panel meeting, I understand that there was a committment from the Council that any green space lost in re-building schools in Portobello would be replaced nearby. I think that it is inevitable that pieces of ground around the city will be traded in this manner to make the best use of available resources.

by **Dadaist** » 02 Oct 2006, 10:51

Ricky makes some good points, but I can understand why confidence was shaken - when this all started we were being asked to consider an enormous housing scheme being built on a golf course!

There have been a lot, recently, of excuses when it comes to laying concrete on parks - I just don't buy into this "oh it's ok - we're building you a new park thither" line when it comes from someone who previously said "don't build on yon park hither".

Does this not also set a dangerous precedent in terms of planning? Does this mean that we're going to see justifications in terms of net gain of green space used for building on Bruntsfield Links and the Meadows?

by **Bob Jefferson** » 02 Oct 2006, 12:06

We don't know what the future holds, but it certainly seems inconceivable that we would allow areas like the Meadows, Bruntsfield Links, Arthurs Seat etc to be built upon. Look how much resistance there has been just to get a skateboard facility, firstly in the Meadows and now in Inverleith Park.

If one or more schools are built on Portobello Park and/or the Golf Course, it will be because local parents and residents recognise that this is the right thing to do under the circumstances. The Council may well have preferences but at the end of the day it is our decision. Anyone who believes that this is a 'done deal' underestimates the power of the people.

by **Bob Jefferson** » 02 Oct 2006, 12:11

From the PHS School Board:

by **Bob Jefferson** » 02 Oct 2006, 13:03

From today's EN Letters Page:

by **Alison Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 13:14

by **Porty** » 02 Oct 2006, 13:43

If Alison is correct then the full 6.2 hectares cannot be achieved by option C, only option B. If the school board are wrong, as volunteers we should not be too hard on them. Alison got totally mixed up with sizes earlier on inthe thread.

If this is indeed an error it doesn't alter my support for Option C. I'd settle for a bit smaller than the minimum guidelines, given that we have about 2/3rd of the miminum floorspace and no outdoor sports facilities at the moment and would have to settle for not much more with option A. i'd take Option B over Option A, every time.

Edit: altered approach.

by **theoutsider** » 02 Oct 2006, 13:50

First of all I say a hello to everyone. I'm an outsider looking in on the goings on with PHS and it's battles with moving onto the Green space of the park.
Here are my views (as an outsider who has been at school not so long ago which had a similar problem!)
1. People living around the park complain that it will destroy their views, maybe even threaten their house price. Rubbish! A High School is a centre of a community, in an aging population we want to create somewhere that prospective parents would want to send their children rather than put it off because the school in place isn't too great. (To put it nicely!) A new school can look beautiful and would either increase house prices or maintain them a steady level.
2. Many complain that they will loose their blessed football pitches. Well wouldn't brand new ones which would be open to use out of school hours be much better, as I understand that it is only really the weekends that they are used. And besides if you vote for decant then you're pretty much going to loose the park for 3-4 years which will destroy the land totally.
3. New housing on the origianal site would be much better as they could also provide a small green with a playpark meaning a hell of a nicer view than the one standing at the moment!
4. Think of the future students of PHS, school makes life, simple as that. The more you put into school the more you get out of it. With facilities as they are at the moment, students don't get the full potential of learning (nothing to do with the teaching staff!!!!!) Simply put a nicer school with nice grounds and nice facilities leads to an open, nicer teaching area, leading to ?healthier?, happier students, leading to a much more enriched community overall.

Well I have only really just started, but I shall stop for now. I will however leave this thought........Is it that PPAG et al are against Option C because they have nothing better to do with their retirement time, or that they don't care because their chilldren don't 'do' state school and have the funds to send them privately? All I know is that I had a better learning time in school because people united in the view that children are the future, YOUR future! :wink:

by **Alison Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 16:03

by **Porty** » 02 Oct 2006, 16:17

by **Bob Jefferson** » 02 Oct 2006, 16:19

by **Maria** » 02 Oct 2006, 16:35

by **Porty** » 02 Oct 2006, 16:39

by **Alison Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 17:52

by **Dave Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 17:56

by **seanie** » 02 Oct 2006, 18:13

by **Dave Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 18:15

by **Alison Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 18:22

by **Pal of Porty** » 02 Oct 2006, 18:30

by **Alison Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 18:37

by **Alison Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 18:56

by **Bob Jefferson** » 02 Oct 2006, 19:37

by **Porty** » 02 Oct 2006, 19:40

by **Dave Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 19:56

by **Porty** » 02 Oct 2006, 19:57

by **Dave Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 20:29

by **Alison Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 20:52

by **Alison Connelly** » 02 Oct 2006, 20:54

by **Maria** » 02 Oct 2006, 21:40

by **Porty** » 02 Oct 2006, 21:57

by **seanie** » 02 Oct 2006, 22:20

New Portobello High School- Where and how?

Option C

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