New Portobello High School- Where and how?

[Dadaist]

[Jean Douglas]

[PortyMan]

[Maria]

[Epykat]

[Maria]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[seanie]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Mate of Marya]

[Mrs Mangle]

[Mate of Marya]

[Dadaist]

[Bob Jefferson]

I think that people are taking a number of different positions on the proposal and that it is misleading to label people as simply 'pro' or 'anti'. I also believe that opinions will shift as the facts become more widely known. As users of this forum, it is easy to assume that everyone else understands the proposal but clearly that is not the case.

As an example, conversations I have had with people recently demonstrate that not everyone understands that the golf course site is to be developed by EDI and that the Council has already given an assurance that all of the profit from the various land deals will be ring-fenced. That is quite different from selling off land to a private developer.

Many are asking for 'evidence' that no alternative site exists, that the existing schools cannot be re-furbished or re-built on site but I can't help feeling that no independent option appraisal would satisfy some, because it would not provide the answer they want. Nevertheless, the Council must continue to try to convince the doubters. As an example of this, some people doubt the validity, and the motive behind, the Golf Course questionnaire. You will recall that this document undermined the argument that the new course would not be within walking distance of Portobello by demonstrating that only 4% of golfers currently walk. Dirty tricks by the Council or a routine survey employing tried and trusted methodology? Let's get the facts.

Some, like Epkat, don't object to a school or schools being built on the golf course - they just don't want the housing. I understand this position but I don't understand how the huge funding gap this would leave could be met. This is the cue for another group of people to start banging on about the Council, the Scottish Exec, Blair, Iraq etc. I don't necessarily disagree with these sentiments but they don't actually help to solve the 'here and now' issues we face. My own view, for what it's worth, is that we don't pay enough tax in this country and that's why our public services are failing but people won't vote for that because they want their cake and they want to eat it too. Whatever - these are reasons for supporting one political party or another and largely irrelevant to the matter at hand.

Yes, of course your local councillor will express sympathy with your viewpoint and take on board everything you say and promise to explore all options - that's their job. Just don't expect them to pull off a deus ex machina solution because life isn't that simple.

At the meeting the other night I asked Ewan Aitken where a new PHS would come from in the forseeable future if the community rejected the proposal. He was very reluctant to answer. I pressed him on it and he said that he didn't want to be accused of scaremongering. I insisted that it was more important that he was honest with people. Reluctantly, he admitted that there is, in his opinion, no prospect of a new school under these circumstances. This may not be what some people want to hear but it doesn't make it any less true.

Jean's concern is for the wider community. Mine too.

[Mate of Marya]

[Dave Connelly]

[Dadaist]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Jean Douglas]

[PortyMan]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Jean Douglas]

[Jean Douglas]

[Jean Douglas]

[Mate of Marya]

[/quote]Not the info I have been given. Are you sure of your facts? My recent info is that current roll is 1050 and present capacity is 1200, and that the new school will not be on the existing footprint I know that this contradicts info posted earlier by Mate of Marya so which is correct?

Hi Jean,

The current roll is 1050 and the original capacity was 1200. However, the present HRH is cramped and could not accommodate the roll of PHS. There are already classes at HRH being taught in Temporary Teaching Units. During the new build a few subjects will be in TTU's. You must also take into consideration that the HHS school role fell to 480 in the early 90's as you will know, and the extra space was used for luxuries like conference rooms, quiet rooms etc., These no longer exist. Such spaces have been clawed back as the school role increased.

[Mate of Marya]

I must be going crazy!

I just submitted the same post twice.

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Mate of Marya]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Bob Jefferson]

[quote="Jean Douglas"]How many of the “build on the parkâ€

[Maria]

[Maria]

[Dadaist]

[Stephen McIntyre]

[Mate of Marya]