Talk Porty ~ Portobello

Brian McCrow

I hate London cabbies, they never get out of their cabs to help with luggage, force their opinions on you - typically racist, xenophobic, sexist. My worst experience was late evening with the family trying to get from Piccadilly to the Tower Hotel by the Tower of London i.e East from where we were. ...

Brian McCrow

There's been mention of St Thomas of Aquins as a great example of a new school. It was actually built under the Smart School initiative, which I think is PPP - http://egfl.net/News/News/newStThomas.html I've also seen comments about PHS having been designed to only last 30 years - I would expect my ...

Brian McCrow

bbbrown You raise a very good point. I made a similar point in an earlier post. I would welcome comment on this by the Council as I believe that the school kids would benefit from jogging up to Portobello Park for their sport. I have heard from a normally reliable Council source that PPP is now out ...

Brian McCrow

Bellybabe

The Scottish Executive has allocated Â£2Bn to PPP2 so they must think that it's working.

My first full-time teaching post was at Knox Academy so I was very sad to hear their problems. I believe that the builder went bankrupt and I would hope that it will soon be sorted out.

Brian McCrow

Dadaist

For completeness

Dalkeith High School comment -

www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/02/5018

Forrester

http://egfl.net/News/News/schoolplans.html

Brian McCrow

Dadaist

Are you calling my honesty into question?

If you were a gentleman I would demand satisfaction at dawn in Portobello Park with pistols.

Brian McCrow

Marya The point I am making is that PPP has worked successfully and recently contrary to negative comments from elsewhere. I would prefer that PPP is used for a new PHS rather than selling off the community asset i.e. the current school site. I would like the Council to tell me why PHS didn't make i...

Brian McCrow

This Council report from Nov 2003 is worth reading re. school catchments: http://www.schoolcatchments.edin.org/pdf/EROct03genericcatchmentreview.pdf It states that the Craigmillar population is to doubled over the coming years and PHS is already overcrowded. But there isn't a review of the PHS catch...

Brian McCrow

Schools plan back on track - Jan 2006 The City of Edinburgh Council is delighted to announce great New Year news for the cityâ€™s schools. The Â£180 million schools building programme (PPP2 - the second education public private partnership in the city and part of the Councilâ€™s Smart Schools Progra...

Brian McCrow

New Dalkeith High School - PPP on time, to budget The new campus offers exceptional sport and leisure facilities, available to all three schools and the wider community. These include classrooms designed for a 21st century curriculum as well as an all weather running track, an all weather full size ...

Brian McCrow

Bob Thanks for putting these letters up on the Forum. I believe that the Portobello Community Council plus the School Board and the local Councillors should set up and drive an open debate about this important topic. It should cover more than the PHS as it would need to consider the regeneration of ...

Brian McCrow

While I'm against siting the new PHS in the Park if we were to do this I don't see why we should invest in a new golf course when there are many other public courses in Edinburgh, which can be reached by public transport. This money could be better spent on other community projects such as a new Com...

Brian McCrow

Let's not get confused. I'm saying that the catchment area for PHS should be changed so that fewer kids go there as it is educationally sound practice to have a smaller school size. Depending on the pupil numbers and where they are based either they should be accommodated at an existing school near ...

Brian McCrow

Stephen I was really thinking about how to split the school into two more manageable schools so used the Portobello/elsewhere approach as an example rather than being a literal split. I don't know the precise catchment area but you might say that pupils who are a certain distance from the current PH...

Brian McCrow

I think the present size of PHS population is too big at 1450 pupils Why not split the PHS so that the Portobello resident kids remain on the present site and the out of Portobello resident kids have a school built near the Jack Kane centre. This would reduce the amount of travelling for the out of ...

Brian McCrow

Dadaist We agreed with Punch Management that we would meet on an as required basis. We haven't yet seen the need to meet. The best way to support these Enterprises is to use their services i.e. pubs in their case. It was disappointing that Utopia Beach didn't get enough local custom to stay open. In...

Brian McCrow

I did some teaching practice at PHS in 1966/7 and the Moray House view was that it was the fore-runner of new schools. Personally, I found it very big and impersonal. I have been interested in the arguments for and against PPP. We have tended to see the arguments against as Seanie is obviously well ...

Brian McCrow

Dadaist

I think you need to sit down and take your pills dear.

You're getting a bit carried away with the insults. Take it easy it's only a Forum.

Brian McCrow

Portyman

How can you slag everyone off for unsubstantiated statements and then slip this in against PPP

"It is a dreadful mess and a complete waste of money, sure"

Wow. That's true DoubleSpeak.

Brian McCrow

Dadaist Do you oppose PPP because you can't get your brain around the concept or is it just because private companies are involved in building and running the schools and (heaven forbid) will be making some profit? The alternatives are that Edinburgh Council raise some cash (currently proposed as co...

Brian McCrow

Charles

You've hit the nail on the head.

If PPP is bad why is the Council still doing it. If it's good why can't it be applied to PHS especially if it's at least cost neutral.

Brian McCrow

Dadaist I am entirely on topic. This discussion about where the new PHS school is built and how it is funded has arisen precisely because the Council doesn't have funds and hence has to sell off the land, on which the present school is built, for building homes. If it had funds there might be propos...

Brian McCrow

Seanie I understand Outsourcing very well as it used to be part of my job within a computer company to structure Outsourcing deals for our clients. Typically, the client will transfer assets, both physical and staff as well as some of the risk to the Outsourcer (you can't transfer all of the risk). ...

Brian McCrow

Dadaist You are so anxious to score debating points that you misunderstood the thrust of my argument. Edinburgh Council haven't made budget provision over the years for the renewal of schools and hence now have to sell off assets to fund these developments. I have assumed that this affects not only ...

Brian McCrow

Check this out: http://www.whichfranchise.com/ http://www.whichfranchise.com/news_template2.cfm?ArticleID=534 The British Franchise Association had the following winners: Gold Countrywide Grounds Maintenance Silver Mitchells & Butler Bronze Snap on Tools A recent report by them said that 95% of UK f...

Brian McCrow

Many franchises run very successfully for both parties and the consumer and have done so for many years. As in any business you need to check every aspect of the offer before becoming a Franchisee. It is a quick start way of running your own business and getting it up to speed more quickly than you ...

Brian McCrow

When I looked at the aerial photo of the schools there certainly seemed to be enough space to build a replacement school(s). Without measuring it exactly it looked as if there was about 70% free space versus 30% built on space. I don't understand why a school building should be only 2 storeys max. I...

Brian McCrow

Having had a look at the revised plans. it looks as if it's not too close to the cottages but this would need to be checked. While it's rather bland in appearance it doesn't look as much out of character as Miami Beach. They've made an attempt to make it less bland by having a step back in the middl...

Brian McCrow

Porty I agree that it's very likely that there will be a building on the site. Compulsory Purchase by the Council is unlikely. The objectors should focus on getting the best building possible from an aesthetic and conservation compliant point of view while protecting their privacy and security of ac...

Brian McCrow

xxxx I agree that we are also pre-disposed to cooperate and this improves our competitiveness e.g. in a football team we are more successful if we have strikers, defenders and a goalie all working together. We still compete everyday whether it's against the weather, for food (especially in the poore...

Brian McCrow

I think competition is good and should be introduced into Schools as early as possible. We are genetically pre-disposed to compete. While I was at School we liked beating the other Schools at sports and academically. I would have sponsorship of Schools by Industry. After all it will be Industry who ...

Brian McCrow

I know that planners and the Scottish Executive Reporters are very keen on the minimum distances. I don't know them myself but if they are as you say this proposal should fail.

I'm sure you put this in your objections.

Let's hope it causes the Council to reject this scheme.

Brian McCrow

I've worked and lived in countries where people had to carry identity cards and we had to carry our passports. No-one was bothered about having to carry them. It made it easier when you needed to prove who you were. In the USA you have to carry your driving licence when driving a car and have your i...

Brian McCrow

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Brian McCrow

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Talk Porty ~ Portobello

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