New Portobello High School - on going issues

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN:

[seanie]

Just heard that progressing with PHS has been approved by the Council.

Don't know if there were any amendments or the tally of votes but it looks like another hurdle's been cleared.

[Bob Jefferson]

I believe the Greens voted against and Hawkins abstained, but still a landslide victory as expected.

[seanie]

[Bob Jefferson]

[seanie]

[Pal of Porty]

[Pal of Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Pal of Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

[seanie]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

[seanie]

The Lismore exchange. You may want to put your glass down and strap yourself in for this.

The PPAG deputation actually claimed that a new high school could be built on the Lismore site without the loss of any green space.

Just as a reminder the preferred optimum site size (excluding playing fields) is 4.5 Ha, the existing PHS site is 2.9 Ha and the built Lismore site is less than 1.3 Ha. So PPAG actually suggested building a new school on a site less than half the size of the existing site, and less than 30% of the optimum.

So when it comes to questions Marilyne Maclaren says something along the lines of 'are you aware the Lismore site is very small that we'd need to build on Bingham Park as well and that was considered and rejected in the consulation for reasons that still apply."

And the response is....(drum roll)...

If you measure all the hardstanding and building area at Lismore....

...and measure the footprint of the buildings at PHS...

...then you'll find you can fit PHS onto the footprint at Lismore!!!



The looks of incredulity from the Councillors was something to behold. I'm guessing pretty much the entire room was united in one common thought;

"Did I really just hear that?"

[Bob Jefferson]

I was just about to call it a night, but thanks for that last laugh. PPAG are obviously keen students of time and relative dimensions in space and their party piece must be pouring a quart into a pint pot.

It's amazing how far wishful thinking alone will take you.

[Porty]

Bob, i was about to start a blow by blow account but I can't be bothered and it is most definitely move-on time.

Council going ahead with PHS on the park, they are comfortable about common good and have invited, in fact, encouraged legal chellenge. It will make no difference to planning.

There is not a molecule of chance that the preferred location will be re-visisted. NONE.

We are on our way to planning and if we fail;we fail.

Maureen Child called for unity, in a passionate, heartfelt speech. She urged local councillors to be "truthful" about local issues.

I spoke to Stephen Hawkins afterwards and he is quite willing to engage in design and development plans for the new school on the park. He added that the community now had to legally challenge the common good issue and his engagement would be dependent on that. I asked him who he meant by "the community" and there's no answer, so off we went again.

Diana Cairns stood up and unflinchigly spouted a string of lies and falsehhods (see Seanie's post), it is truly disgraceful and all in an attempt to persuade councillors to stand up for her cause. In the end, she convinced noone- not even Stephen Hawkins, who sat on his hands -that is what I call failure to persuade.

Wangi, I think we need another PHS thread. Something like PHS plan and design. Let's leave all the bickering and aggresive argument behind, a lot of which I am guilty of. Let's move on- the site is chosen- the funding is clear but indefinite and we know we can legally build on the park.

We now need to get planning permission and have a "vision" discussion. After this weekend, I am no longer arguing with Ghost or any other PPAG no mark. It is done, it is all about planning, we will see you there. Bring alll you have- in my view it won't be anywhere near enough.

As an aside, spoke to at least 10 councillors today, they said pros and antis were evenly split, with the average number of emails per councillor estimated at 60. That means only 30 of us could be bothered. Personally, considering the prize at stake, I am gutted so few of us stepped up. We simply must do better.

[seanie]

I think most people are busy just doing what they do. It's not that they don't necessarily care or can't be bothered, they just don't notice things because they've lots of other things that concern them.

I'm not sure how you really tackle that. I think with PHS there may be a possibility of engaging people in the brief development/design procees. There's only so much influence the community could exert but it could make a real difference. As it becomes more tangible people may get more involved.

[Bob Jefferson]

PPAG will undoubtedly continue to oppose the school on Portobello Park with its usual mix of fantasy, wishful thinking and lies, including the suggestion of red herring 'alternative' sites and non-existent threats to the golf course. They are determined to waste a huge sum of money in legal fees in a vain and pointless attempt to fight the planning application and deny local children the school they deserve.

I would like to suggest that they add that money to the thousands of pounds raised from the community still sitting in the PCATS fund and give the whole lot to a deserving charity.

But Porty is right, when it comes to planning and designing our new school in the park we should not be distracted by this nonsense. We need to start thinking positively about the elements that will make this a school we can all be proud of. Time for a new start and a new thread.

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's Scotsman:

[Pal of Porty]

It appeared to me that nearly all the Councillors wanted to build all 5 schools but they just do not have the cash. The deputations from the High Schools were very consistent, fair and supportive of each other, as they have been all the way through this exercise. PHS acknowledged that it was only by a very fine margin that they were getting the cash first and urged the council to try and find the cash for the other schools.

However as the council do not have any more cash...cue the Councillors getting wired into each other for over an hour. It is basically blaming each other for the situation SNP slagging PPP, Labour slagging of the Scottish No-Futures Trust etc. At one point in the afternoon even Inverness Airport was getting the blame?????

Across all this however, I think the majority of the chamber were always going to vote for the motion as one school is better than none and it just so happened that the Prioritisation report placed PHS at the top. This report has been what has really cemented PHS going ahaead.

One of the highlights of the day for me, apart from getting the school, was PPAG's green crudentials being shot to flames by some Councillors, and the laugh at the suggestion of building on Lismore's foorprint (a 14 storey school?). Facts have never been PPAG's currency.

Councillor Hawkins abstained from the vote which disappointed me. Anyone who can immediately call for 'the community' to raise money to fight this decison 2 minutes after it has been made - while not having the cajones to vote against it - well, make you own mind up.

Overall a difficult decision has been made and it is now time for the exciting bit. Can we really get the chance to make it something special or will it just be another new building?

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

But it's not easy....

From Fantasy Island, sorry, today's EN Letters Page:

[Bob Jefferson]

From our new friend, Marilyne MacLaren:



Now, who was calling for her resignation?

[Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

Update on earlier story (with new comment section):

[Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]

It was indeed,. Still out of order tho- but hey look at this picture- its incredible- how did they do that?

[Bob Jefferson]

You mean the picture of Marilyne? Or the image of Portobello Park, which portrays it as a sylvan glen? Do they have something in common? Is it that they have both been digitally enhanced to make them appear more attractive than they actually are?

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN Letters Page:

[Porty]

[Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]