New Portobello High School - on going issues

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]

[allaboardtheskylark]

Was I the only one not surprised the Green's raised "replacement green space" yet have been very quiet when it comes to identifying the same.
Reminds me of their last amendments.

Let's look at building Portobello High on the site of the vacated Lismore Primary School site - 14 storey's perhaps?

Or does anyone remember the other part of the amendment, the Freightliner site. They stated as VIRIDOR had failed to get their planning application passed that site should be re-investigated. Obviously ignoring the consultation and the fact that everybody knew VIRIDOR would appeal. End result PHS bottom of the phase 3 list and a delay of several years.

Am I paranoid, or is there a mole.

I do not mind an individual or a group holding an opinion, what I object to is stating that opinion. Then running away without offering an alternative.

[Porty]

AATS. You. Come across as a bit of a cynic. As a result of which I'm a wee bit suspicious of your motives.

[allaboardtheskylark]

[Porty]

[Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]

[seanie]

No. Not at all.

There are lots of details to be confirmed regarding the consultation but from looking at the outline it's pretty extensive. There should be more than ample opportunity to comment for those that wish to do so.

By arranging a wide number of consultation events, over a wide area, there's at least the chance of geting feedback from a genuine cross-section of people. An accurate reflection of what the community thinks is surely essential, but the difficulty in establishing that is obvious. The meeting on Monday is evidence enough;

It's a 'key stakeholder' meeting whereby numerous interested parties are invited to send a representative to be informed of and discuss the impending process. What do PPAG do? Tell their supporters that it's a meeting for them to "make your opinion known".

But it's not. That will come later.

And of course the meeting isn't being pushed as 'public' in any meaningful sense of the term. I don't see flyers or posters from PPAG telling everyone they should attend this meeting; just their supporters. Telling supporters to turn up en-masse to what isn't actually a public consultation event doesn't just display a disregard for the process.

They're seeking to express their opinons not alongside others, but to the exclusion of others.

All in all it displays an utter contempt for the views of the community at large.

[Epykat]

They've come up with a brilliant idea though. Let's just not make enough car parking spaces for the amount of staff wanting to use the car park despite there being ample room. Let's just have them parking on the street or persuade them to use a bike instead.

[seanie]

Have they?

[seashell]

[Porty]

Parking is a problem. Personally, I would rather the surrounding streets took the strain for 40 weeks of the year, than sacrifice green space that could be used by the public and the school community. Is it too much to hope for a PFANS/PPAG coalition to petition for on-street parking in Park Avenue and the vicinity?

[Maria]

[Porty]

[allaboardtheskylark]

[seanie]

[allaboardtheskylark]

First up on the night was most certainly entertaining. When he came up with his board with a plan of the park and his little models of the outline for the school and pitches I nearly took a fit of the giggles.

Big idea, align the pitches down one side (in front of the Christians), put the parking next to the road at the bottom (next to the Christians) and move the school to the bottom corner of the golf course (next to the Christians) thereby redisigning the whole golf course and moving all aspects of the school as far away from the top of Park Ave. as possible.

He may have had good intentions but must have known you can't overturn consultations thereby going round in circles.

Back to 2006?

[Porty]

[Pal of Porty]

[allaboardtheskylark]

[Porty]

[allaboardtheskylark]

Perhaps they could have used a magician.

Set the scene.

The map appears in a flash of smoke.

The outline of the pitches realigned, untouched by hand, down the east side of the park.

As if by magic the parking area's move to the South of the Park.

The outline of the school is gone, but wait, there it is in the far corner of.. you guessed it.... the Golf Course.

Then a squeaky little voice at the back shouts, but where do you stay?

Drum Roll, clash of cymbols. A house lights up, furthest away corner from the school.

One side of the hall cheers and the other rolls about in hysterics.

[Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]

[admin: deleted] [PPAG could] now claim they attended a recent meeting of the Neighbourhood Partnership, where they watched a presentation from an architect of a school on the golf course- its true!! They wouldn’t need to mention that it was their own tame architect who had no remit whatsoever.

Would they do that? Well yes, they have deployed similat tactics in the past. I recall attending a meeting of PHS parent council, Alison Connelly also attended as part of a delegation from St John’s parent council, who had been invited along as a gesture of inclusiveness and courtesy.

We learned that a firm of architects, who had not been appointed by the council or anyone else for that matter, had invited the chair of the PHS parent council to a presentation of how a Scholl may be laid out on the Park/Golf Course. He informed us that there were 4 options. They were touting for business, no more and no less. Next thing you know. Right here on Talk Porty, Dave Connelly tells ud has been talking to "someone" who has reliably informed him that St John’s have been excluded from seeing detailed plans of the new PHS !!

So St John's parent council were offered the courtesy of attending and then deliberately excluded from learing about plans that didn't exist- doesn't seem right, does it?

This was about 4 years ago and only now are we about to see the proposed plans for the new school.

[Bob Jefferson]

From the EN Letters Page:

[Porty]

Babs Tulloch has produced the daftest school related letter since the Sheilds' contribution on a school in the sea. Does she genuienly believe that private schools do not invest in new buildings because the old ones are so wonderfully fit for purpose?

[allaboardtheskylark]

I can't really understand the point of this letter. It's just having a rant for the sake of it.

[SoupDragon]

[Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]