New Portobello High School- Where and how?

[Dadaist]

[Jackson Priest]

[Pal of Porty]

[Jackson Priest]

[seanie]

[kathlake]

What is the official difference between GREEN SPACE and GREENBELT, that we can build on one but not the other.

[seanie]

Greenbelt policies date back to the post-war period. Greenbelt seeks to establish a ring around developed areas to prevent incremental expansion from joining up everything into a homogeneous low-rise developed continueum. A green belt around non-green areas.

Green space has measures to protect it too but greenbelt, whilst it can be re-designated, is a different kettle of fish. It's a far more difficult proposition in terms of development.

[seanie]

I’m all for seeking a mutually satisfactory solution. But if you’re looking for one that satisfies everyone, in every respect, you may as well not start looking in the first place. Inspired ideas to locate schools, pupils or housing somewhere that’s not been thought of before are unlikely to suddenly make everyone happy. They’ll just displace the unhappiness to somewhere new that’s not been thought of before. By all means consider them but, at the end of the day, we’ll still be faced with a difficult choice trying to weigh up benefits against costs.

Unless of course someone has a magic lamp handy.

Now I’m still very unsure about exactly what’s proposed but, given what’s already been discussed, I think it sounds reasonable. In terms of developing on the park and gof-course I’d say the following, echoing other comments;

If the total site is 20Ha/49 acres let’s say the housing takes up 35% of that - 7Ha / 17 acres.

Give the schools 25%, 5Ha/12 acres, and you could probably squeeze them in with a reasonable bit of garden/green area all their own.

That’d still leave 40%, 8 Ha/20 acres, of recreational space to be divvied up in some way, be it for school, shared or community sports or for natural parkland. That’s not an insignificant area.

Say you split it 50/50 with half for sports in some form, you’d still end up with 4Ha, or 8 football pitches, of land that could be given over to natural habitat. You could do quite a lot with that. You could develop something of considerable bio-diversity and ecological value. You could have a local nature reserve. Something more interesting than grass with the occasional hole in it.

Now a lot would depend on the detail and quality of the proposals. But a proposition along those lines would strike me as not a bad deal; new schools, improved sports facilities shared with the community, a smaller but more ecological diverse bit of parkland, along with a replacement golf-course round the corner, on newly accessible green space twice the size of the existing.

Admittedly that comes at the price of housing development, but if that is unacceptable the prospect of new schools any time soon appear slim, regardless of where the schools are redeveloped. And if housing development is acceptable somewhere, how is one area prioritised over another?

As an ideal proposal it might be terribly dissapointing. But as a realistic proposal it strikes me as pretty good.

[seanie]

[Pal of Porty]

[seanie]

[wangi]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

[seanie]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Brian McCrow]

Bob

Thanks for putting these letters up on the Forum.

I believe that the Portobello Community Council plus the School Board and the local Councillors should set up and drive an open debate about this important topic. It should cover more than the PHS as it would need to consider the regeneration of Craigmillar, developments in Leith and the future Waterfront developments vis-a-vis Portobello and their impact on future school rolls.

It should also ensure that we don't build another mega-school as this isn't practical in today's educational thinking.

Let's get this debate started with the formation of an Action Group.

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[seanie]

[seanie]

you can find Building Bulletin 95- "Schools for the Future", that outlines many of the key drivers of current school design. It may be of interest.

[seanie]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[seanie]

[bellybabe]

It concerns me that so many "representative" bodies seem to be taking stances that appear to be more personal than representative. Does the community council represent the community? If so, how can they justify coming out against a proposal without asking that very community what it wants? And if St John's school board is half in favour and half against, again, who are they representing? None of these representatives have asked me, my partner, my children, my friends who are parents at the schools, my neighbours etc what we think. So where are my representatives? Who is speaking on behalf of my family?


Paula

[Epykat]

[Dadaist]

[Alison Connelly]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Brenda]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Dave Connelly]

At the community council meeting I was sure that Maureen Child said that the land for the new golf course had already been acquired. When asked about the cost of the new land, she was unsure.

When I telephoned Julia Hope at the council today she stated that the land had not been bought at all, that there was a meeting tomorrow and that everything was in the early stages etc etc etc:?:

Does anyone have the correct information. Maureen if I misheard please let me know



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