Portobello Community Council

[Bob Jefferson]

People Power for Portobello? Do I win a prize?

[Makaveli]

admin: 4 posts moved from thread and merged here, tagged with *

*So a week has gone by since this question was asked and we find that one person has been asked their opinion and that only seems to be because they personally know members of the PCC.

Not very good is it?

[tom nimmo]

In the unlikely event that I will be asked my opinion I will say that I have no problem with a food retailer replacing Big W. The only impact it will have, in my opinion, is that it will give some competition to the retailing behemoth that is Asda. Also, as I do not expect to be asked by my 'representatives' I have no problem with the plans for the Scot Power site as anything will be an improvement on what is already there. Do I care if there is not enough light in the courtyards? No, coz I won't buy a flat there. If the planners make a mess of the site they will render parts of it difficult to sell. Is this actually a concern for people currently living in Portobello? It is in the interests of the planners and builders to create something that is attractive and will sell.
Lets be honest here (and I speak from my own experience of being a past PCC rep for BRRA) any votes held at PCC meetings or opinions expressed are the opinions of the individuals expressing them. I never once thought that I was really speaking for the members of BRRA when I said something at meetings as, to me, it would have smacked of pompous self-importance (not really my style). That was my personal feeling at the time and if current PCC members do believe they speak for others then who am I to say they are possibly misguided. Having said all that I may attend the PCC next Monday if there is no football on the telly.

[seanie]

*Well hang on.

The PCC does not need to know the opinion of every single person within the community in order to represent the community. Nor are Community Council's required to. Their duty is to represent the broad range of opinions that exist within the communities they serve.

There are limitations of time and resources, and there are genuine difficulties that exist in meaningful consultation even with adequate resources. So whatever the Community Council does it's bound to be less than perfect.

However, if there were more and varied means of getting feedback from with the community, as well as a higher profile for the PCC in terms of what issues came before it and its response to them, then I think it'd help.

[seanie]

Tom

The whole point of being on the PCC is that you're supposed to speak for others and that your own point of view is of secondary importance.

[tom nimmo]

Seanie.

Of course it is. But how many people actually remember this when voting or talking? You presumably speak at the PCC in favour of a new school because you personally believe that there should be one. I expect that just about every parent and schoolchild in Portobello agrees with you so you are most likely representing the majority view in this case. Do you think that a PCC member will push a view that they don't personally agree with? I don't.

[Maria]

The 'Big W' site was discussed at more then one meeting if memory serves me correctly. I seem to recall at one there was representation from residents near to the 'Big W' site who were concerned about noise disturbance from 24 hr delivery and operation and who asked the CC to oppose the application. Perhaps Seanie can add more?

[seanie]

Expressing personal opinions is fine, since most peoples' opinion on the PCC are likely to reflect views in the wider community. And since the PCC exists to represent the broad range of views within the community all such voices should be fairly represented.

It's when you start coming to firm decisions on things that problems arise. Because then you start taking the balance of opinion amongst two dozen people as a proxy for a community of 12,000 people. Sure, the PCC may wish to take a vote to come to a position, and that in itself is legitimate. But you have to approach that in a very cautious manner, acknowledging the limitations of such a vote, and being scrupulously fair in representing all views whatever the outcome.

At the end of the day Community Councils exist to reflect what their community thinks, not decide it.

On the subject of the school I've never known, in all honesty, where the balance of opinion lay. I was sure there was a significant body of opinion in favour, who's views needed to be represented. I'm was also sure there was a significant body of opinion against and they were certainly well represented on the PCC. My guess is that the bulk of the community were somewhere in between, and it's those voices in the middle ground that tend to get lost.

I think more could be done to get feedback from the community about what they think, although there are difficulties in that. But most importantly I think the PCC should approach any contentious issues in a neutral, even disinterested way; summarise all views in favour and all views against, in a balanced way, then if there is some genuine indication of where the balance of opinion lies report what it is and the evidence to support it. I'd view votes as the option of last resort.

[tom nimmo]

Seanie.

Excellent explanation of what the PCC should be. Thanks.

[seanie]

[Puerto bella]

*I also think that it is the duty of the individual resident to inform themselves and make their views known to the PCC in whatever shape or form that may be - verbal, electronic or going along to a meeting now and again. Given that the PCC are all volunteers then it makes sense to have a mixed approach.

I find it very sad though that there seems to be a lack of allegance to the PCC as a cohesive group by some of its elected members or more specifically the co-opted groups reps.

I also see an imbalance where what seems to be 'courting' developer's interests more than canvasing resident's views is happening - that seriously worries me. I thought you were all working on communicating better among yourselves and learning to worth things through to resolution?

I also find it really bad taste and bully boy for want of a better phrase that the couple of folk who regard themselves as the PCC fringe seem to be having a witch hunt.

[seanie]

[Porty]

[Puerto bella]

[seanie]

[Puerto bella]

[seanie]

[wangi]

A timely reminder - the next meeting of Portobello Community Council is next Monday, 27 September at 19:30 in the Portobello
Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street.

[Bob Jefferson]

[Puerto bella]

[Bob Jefferson]

What does the code of conduct for community councillors have to say about group representatives? Are they simply expected to act in the interests of the group they represent or are they also expected to reflect the views of the wider community? What if these conflict? For example, it's difficult to see how the PCATS representative can take a balanced view on the BL development.

[allaboardtheskylark]

[Franck]

[Porty]

[allaboardtheskylark]

[allaboardtheskylark]

[Franck]

[wangi]

[Porty]

[wangi]

[Porty]

[Porty]

[wangi]

[Pal of Porty]

[seanie]