How so? Tell us more.seanie wrote:Unanimous-ish
NEW PORTOBELLO HIGH SCHOOL GETS THE GREEN LIGHT
Plans to build a new high school in Portobello were approved today by councillors on the city's planning committee.
Set on parkland beside Portobello Golf Course, the development will include the latest teaching facilities, a 25-metre swimming pool and all weather sports pitches which will be accessible to the entire community.
The £41.5m project - which is fully funded by the Council - is set for completion by January 2014.
City Education Leader Cllr Marilyne MacLaren said:
"This is great news for Portobello and even better news for education in the city. We are committed to investing in the best possible facilities for young people and for the communities where they live.
"A school should sit that the heart of a community so we’ve involved pupils, school staff and the people of Portobello in the design process.
"With modern teaching facilities, top quality sports facilities and community resources all in a parkland setting, I’m confident that the people of Portobello will have a school to be proud of and excited about.”
Peigi MacArthur, Head Teacher at Portobello High School, said:
"Staff, pupils and local people have enjoyed close involvement in the development of designs and have been supported by a terrific team of people from within the Council and beyond.
"We have also taken part in a professional debate about learning and teaching and about the new curriculum because we recognise the importance of making decisions on behalf of future generations of staff, pupils and community.
"The school and our community can benefit hugely from this development. These are exciting times and I’m thrilled for the whole school community that this decision has been taken."
The procurement process is already underway and it's expected that a report will be presented to Council in early Autumn recommending what contractor should be awarded the contract. It is anticipated that work will begin on site shortly afterwards.
Notes to editors
1. The school will be built using a 'village' model designed to have minimal impact on its surroundings. Access to existing park areas will be improved and sports facilities will be on-site.
2. New all-weather pitches will allow the school to meet requirements for curricular PE without wasting valuable class time travelling to other facilities in Edinburgh.
3. The local community will be able to access sports facilities as well as classrooms and performance areas in the evening and at weekends.
News on Forth 1/2 are running with PPAG claiming the battle aint over and they will fight the decision. Interview with Diana Cairns re "views being devastated", pupils crossing the road etc etc.Marya wrote:Brilliant news. Now let's get it built!
Controversial plans for a new Portobello High School building have been approved by city planners.
The development will be cited (!) on Portobello Park, a move local campaigners say will mean the loss of green space and increased traffic congestion.
But councillors on the capital's planning committee decided the benefits of the building would outweigh the negatives.
The project, to be fully funded by Edinburgh Council, will cost £41.5m and should be finished by January 2014.
It will replace a crumbling building on Duddingston Road.
Education Convener, Cllr Marilyne MacLaren responded to the concerns of locals...
Yeah, I'd say so.rmolehusband wrote:how was the PCC's submission, did 'our' representative manage to keep it balanced?
This was nowhere near his worst claim.Pal of Porty wrote:Akin to building on the meadows - what a total pile of piss.
.Yes and it is about time you lot stopped screaming me, me, me and to hell with everyone else. The sons and daughters of Portobello also need open space to run around in but then I forgot that most of you have massive houses and gardens, unlike the folk in the Christians and Magdalene who had their park stolen from them today
Sense on school
Building work should finally get under way later this year on a new Portobello High School - but some locals are not happy.
Their efforts to prevent the school being built on a large chunk of Portobello Park finally failed yesterday.
Opponents argued strongly that the park is a treasured local amenity, and as a society we do need to jealously guard against unwarranted intrusion into what seems to be ever-diminishing urban green space.
But the more compelling argument was that taking some of the park to create a bigger and more modern school for the area's youngsters was a good use of the land for wider community benefit.
And anyone who heard the teachers and pupils of the current cramped school make that arguments would surely agree that the right decision was taken.
Anyone? I think not.Bob Jefferson wrote:Sense on school
................
And anyone who heard the teachers and pupils of the current cramped school make that arguments would surely agree that the right decision was taken.
If you think that park is anything like the Meadows you obviously haven't been there. I've NEVER seen any family sitting in that park enjoying a summer picnic, ive never seen people flying kites, ive never seen organised eventsPal of Porty wrote:Akin to building on the meadows - what a total pile of piss.
The official word: (full attached)wangi wrote:Granted
THE ERECTION OF NEW PORTOBELLO HIGH SCHOOL AND ASSOCIATED ANCILLARY BUILDINGS, SITE WORKS, CAR PARKING, LANDSCAPING, PITCHES AND FLOODLIGHTING at PORTOBELLO PARK AND GOLF COURSE, 20 STANLEY STREET, EDINBURGH, EH15 1JJ,
REFERENCE NUMBER: 10/02830/FUL (SCHEME: )
The City of Edinburgh Council has determined the application as follows:
Decision: GRANTED
Conditions
1. A detailed specification, including trade names where appropriate, of all the proposed external materials shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Head of Planning before work is commenced on site; Note: samples of the materials may be required.
2. No development shall take place on the site until the applicant has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological work (excavation, analysis and reporting, publication) in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted by the applicant and approved in writing by the Head of Planning.
3. During the construction phase, dust mitigation measures as stated in Chapter 11 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases Report Table 11.20 of the Environmental Statement dated September 2010 shall be carried out as stated, to the satisfaction of the Head of Planning.
4. The design, installation and operation of any plant, machinery or equipment shall be such that any associated noise complies with NR25 when measured within any nearby living apartment.
5. Deliveries and collections, including waste collections, are restricted to 0700 - 1900 hours Monday to Saturday.
6. The floodlighting system shall be controlled so that there is no direct illumination of neighbouring land, and so that any light spillage onto neighbouring land does not exceed 25 lux.
7. Hours of operation of the floodlighting system is restricted to between the hours of 0800 and 2200 hours daily.
8. That prior to the commencement of works on site, details of the following shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority for subsequent implementation:, , (i) An environmental management plan, including all mitigation measures relating to the ecology and nature conservation, as detailed within the Environmental Statement. All mitigation measures will be implemented in full prior to the commencement of works on site;, , (ii) A fully detailed landscape plan and habitat management plan, including full details of the extent of removal of the Millennium Planting on the site's northern boundary. All recommendations and mitigation measures identified in these documents shall be implemented as per the agreed timetable;, , (iii) A site waste management plan, identifying all waste streams and proposals for their management, including materials excavated on the site and the importation of any waste materials to the site. The implementation of the waste management plan shall continue throughout the duration and life of the development;, , (iv) A plan showing details of all fences, walls and gates to be erected on site. The plan shall include details of the type and height of all fencing to be erected.
9. Prior to the commencement of works on site, a surface water management plan, showing flood risk from all sources at the 1:200 year runoff shall be submitted for approval by the Head of Planning. It should show the location of the land drains, and demonstrate that there is no increase in flood risk to adjacent property.
10. For the avoidance of doubt, the path as shown on the north edge of the golf course is not consented.
11. Prior to the commencement of works on site, full details of the location of the floodlighting columns shall be submitted for approval to the Head of Planning. Thereafter, the columns shall be erected as approved. For the avoidance of doubt, the floodlighting system shall be so controlled to ensure no floodlighting bulb or floodlighting bulb reflecting surface shall be visible within any residential premises.
12. The proposals are contrary to the development plan as the site is zoned for open space and the proposals do not meet all the criteria for building in these areas. However, there are other material considerations that have been taken into account which outweigh the development plan land use allocation. These include the benefits to the local community and the upgrading of the pitches on site. , , A departure is therefore justified in this instance.
Reasons
1. In order to enable the planning authority to consider this/these matter/s in detail.
2. In the interests of cultural heritage.
3. In the interests of residential amenity.
4. In the interests of residential amenity.
5. In the interests of residential amenity.
6. In the interests of residential amenity.
7. In the interests of residential amenity.
8. To ensure these details are submitted in the interests of natural heritage and amenity.
9. In the interests of flood prevention and amenity.
10. In the interests of amenity.
11. For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of residential amenity.
Re: New Portobello High School - planning applicationSee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QsfT3UESIQ (just after 11 minutes)seanie wrote:STV NEWS- nice interview with pupils about the new High School...
...then PPAG launching a campaign to raise £80,000 for a legal challenge.
Campaigners against plans to build a new Portobello High School on a local park have hit out at councillors for approving the move saying lives could be at risk.
They insist the controversial new school, funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, will cause road safety issues after it was given the go-ahead at a planning management sub-committee meeting on Wednesday following lengthy debate.
The council now hope to secure a contractor for the £41.5 million project by August, with a completion date set for January 2014.
Supporters of the school have met strong opposition from residents concerned about the effects it would have on road safety, traffic and the surrounding green space, since it was first proposed 10 years ago.
...
They could have made a general comment (neither support or object) or a supporting comment asking for conditions to be attached. You don’t need to object for your voice to be heard. A number of the conditions added to the plan were based on points made by supporting representations. It’s my understanding that if all the sustainability schemes incorporated in the design work to plan then the building will have an “excellent” rating, otherwise “very good”?Jane Lewis, Chairperson, PEDAL — Portobello Transition Town wrote:Dear PEDAL members and supporters,
Several people over the last day or so have asked questions about PEDAL’s submission regarding the planning application for the proposed new school in the park. All submissions are open to the public, and a copy of the letter which PEDAL sent is below.
This response was debated long and hard within the Board. We felt that the energy and transport issues were so much part of PEDAL’s core purpose that not to comment on them would be odd and not in line with our mission. However, we decided not to comment on the core issue of the school being built in the park as we were aware that our members had such diverse views on this matter. Our submission was not that we were opposed to the school in the park, but that we and our children deserve better if we are ever going to move towards a more sustainable future.
Initially quite a few of the board members didn’t want to word our comments as ‘objections’, but we understand that this is the language you have to use if you want the council to take any issues you raise into account. It is unfortunate that the system is set up to be so adversarial — this approach would not be our choice.
We hope that this helps explain the decision that we took, and that we can continue to work together for a sustainable Portobello and a sustainable new high school.
Please do contact me directly if you wish to discuss this further
Yours,
Jane Lewis (Chairperson)
Please see below the text of our letter written to City of Edinburgh Council planning department:
...
Like a lot of indivduals and groups it is a difficult one for PEDAL and they were obvioulsy torn. However, I find it hard to believe that at least one of the board members wasn't aware that there are 3 choices when making an "objection" to planning application. Isn't one of them a councillor? And some are PCC members who had input in their decsion to neither support or object to the application.pedal wrote:.
Initially quite a few of the board members didn’t want to word our comments as ‘objections’, but we understand that this is the language you have to use if you want the council to take any issues you raise into account. It is unfortunate that the system is set up to be so adversarial — this approach would not be our choice.
We hope that this helps explain the decision that we took, and that we can continue to work together for a sustainable Portobello and a sustainable new high school.
...
