Rumours again...about development

[bellybabe]

I stress, rumours, insubstantiated, etc etc...

I happen to know an architect who's been working for an Edinburgh firm, who "let slip" the other night that the plans for the Pitz site are already drawn up, and guess what they consist of? Yep, flats... It is claimed that mon ami l'architect worked with architect who was working on plans.

Presumably, since we all know that the exec is definitely not in the pocket of the building industry, these are only plans for a proposal which will of course be given due consideration...but I thought it was interesting. There was no mention of the word "affordable" linked to the word used, "housing".

[wangi]

Not really a suprise... And would proably make the most sense?

[bellybabe]

Well, it would make sense if it were affordable, but if not? To use another argument, not much of a gateway to Portobello - more traffic problems etc. I was under the impression we're hoping for a library/comm centre relocation to that area? Was I wrong?

[Poppy]

The land actually belongs to the council - it's held under a 99 year lease by the Pitz people...........

[wangi]

Well as soon as the cooncil caved into Pitz's "request" for joint development it was obvious it'd be a plain commercial affair.

Anyway, there's plenty need in Edinburgh for non-"affordable" housing too. And I think the change of use to housing would actually decrease traffic in the area (there's a fair bit of traffic to/from the 5-a-side) and would look a damn site better than the sire currently does.

[Porty]

Agreed Wangi. I also heard that a developer has offered the owner of the Rockville an opportunity to build flats.

[Jay]

It might also be a bit less noisy for the neighbours!

[Epykat]

... and would look a damn site better than the sire currently does.

So does anybody know if it's true that Pitz are moving up to the golfie?
How awful will that be when we lose that brilliant piece of open land with a beautiful view to Arthur's Seat? Council aren't really into views and open spaces though are they?

[ras]

any one know if the Rockville were interested?

surely they wouldn' be able to knock it down - was it to refurb? It'd make a great house.

[Gemini]

... and would look a damn site better than the sire currently does.

So does anybody know if it's true that Pitz are moving up to the golfie?
How awful will that be when we lose that brilliant piece of open land with a beautiful view to Arthur's Seat? Council aren't really into views and open spaces though are they?

I am sure Cllr. Marshall mentioned something about the Pitz relocating to the Golfie, although nothing substantiated as yet.... don't think the folks in Park Avenue/The 12 Apostles will be too chuffed!

I too was under the impression that the Pitz site would be used for affordable housing/new community centre etc. It is a great site and should be sympathetically designed more especially as it is a Gateway site - don't you think it would look great with a 80.000 sq ft. tin framed superstore opposite with accompanying car parking space for 400 vehicles?

WELCOME TO PORTOBELLO

[Maria]

Here's the text of the e-mail from Lawrence Marshall that Gemini is most likely thinking about:

Dear All,
                        some of you may have seen the article in the "Evening News" yesterday (Thursday 17th June) regarding a deal between Power League and the Council to sell off part of the site of the exisiting 5-a-side football pitches and pavilion and build a community facility on part of the remainder within an overall linear park setting alongside the Figgate Burn.
   I thought that this was an appropriate time to break free of the uncomfortable straitjacket imposed so far by commercial confidentiality to outline the background to all this - the main thinking behind this rather than the specific details of the deal involved.
   This option stems from Power League trying to persuade the Council a couple of years ago to release them from their 99-year lease and allow them to build a Lidl supermarket on at least part of the site. Although 5-a-side football isn't exactly a typical High Street use and is in some ways not only an inappropriate but also a noisy neighbour as far as local residents are concerned, the overwhelming feeling in the Community Council and Portobello Amenity Society was that a supermarket wasn't wanted as a replacement and so we told Pitz that they would have to stick with the terms of their lease and, even if they moved, they would have to find another similar operator to take the lease over.
   Meanwhile, of course, the community centre has in these last few years been working on plans for a completely new building and the idea began to take shape of a new community complex, the only available Council land for which was the Power League site. So, we began to discuss with Power League the fact that they had already said that they weren't interested in refurbishing their Portobello site and that they instead would prefer somewhere nearby with the potential for 8 pitches (rather than 6 at present).
  Our officials have identified a site beside Portobello golf course where such a new Power League facility could fit and have now, over many months, negotiated terms whereby Power League would move, be able to pay for the building of a new facility and realise a share of the proceeds of the sale of the existing site. The last part sticks in my throat as they made the first move re. a possible relocation from the High Street, they don't own the existing site - the Council does - and are being offered an alternative by the Council. But they've 84 years of their lease to run and therefore could just sit tight if so minded.
   The existing site of itself is too large for just a community complex - new community centre, possibly also a larger, more modern library and possibly also a headquarters for Friends of the Earth Scotland (this is one scenario considered in a feasibility study commissioned by the community centre management committee). I therefore asked the question as to whether it might be possible to rebuild Portobello High School here - possibly involving the current Indoor Bowling Centre (we could have rescued the Richard Corsie facility as a replacement). My motivation here was to further enliven Portobello High Street and make it feel like a High Street from first you enter it at King's Road - the Scottish Power site on the other side of the street also being crucial here.
   Our property and education officials have both insisted that this site is too small - and don't think that we could do some deal to exchange this site for the Scottish Power site which is bigger because the latter will no doubt be valued with housing in mind and would therefore cost too much to acquire, even if "swapped" - although it's current designation in the Local Plan is as industrial land. A new High School will cost some £25m simply to build. Education also stated that both these sites are at the very edge of the High School's catchment area - something they weren't in favour of. In terms of boosting Portobello High Street, I feel that outcome is a shame. The other shame, of course, is that a new site for the High School will avoid a costly and disruptive decant.
   Although we were told by our officials to keep all this quiet because of the ongoing commercial negotiations with Power League and the possibility of jeopardising these, I have kept the community centre and the library informed of this particular option for their future development. I've also dropped broad hints at one or two Community Council meetings in the last year - not to mention private conversations with individuals.
   At the very least I would anticipate a linear park alongside the Figgate Burn from the High Street to the Promenade with a new community centre on probably the High Street end of the site. The library could also become part of this if folk wished - and, as I say, maybe an HQ for Friends of the Earth Scotland.
   For myself, I would have preferred that we could have held a community workshop on this and indeed how we begin to rebuild Portobello more generally  - but we were told that we needed to strike a deal with Power League first since this was the key to unlocking any development.
   That's why a report went before the Executive of the Council on Tuesday 15th June. This was a private "B" agenda item because it contained details of the deal with Power League which they have the right to insist be kept confidential. This report was continued by Councillor Ewan Aitken who wanted to be sure as regards the implications for Portobello High School but he has now been persuaded that the Power League site isn't big enough and the report will therefore now come back again to the Council Executive on Tuesday 27th July. Meanwhile, since this report is available to all councillors, it has been leaked to the "Evening News".
   At the end of the day, the minimum we're aiming for is a strengthened sense of place in Portobello High Street, a new community centre and possibly also linking this with a new library. The High Street needs to stretch towards King's Road if we are to make this currently industrial entrance to Portobello seem part of the town and a new community complex west of the Figgate Burn together with hopefully housing - including much needed "affordable housing" for rent - on the Scottish Power site rather than a supermarket should go a long way to achieving this.
   Towerbank Primary School will hopefully be extended allowing it to come together on one site over the course of the next few years and we need to build a new Portobello High School. And then, of course, there's the question of trying to further improve the Promenade - particularly those sites currently looking derelict but not all of which the Council owns.
   All these issues present real choices and difficulties and are often inter-dependent. Commercial confidentiality is a huge impediment to discussing some things openly and I've frankly been more forthcoming with those directly affected than perhaps some folk would like because I've needed to have a sense that what was being discussed arose from their aspirations and had their understanding. In the case of the community centre, for example, I have tried to keep them informed in the light of their own search for a solution as to how to get a new community centre.
   I hope this explains the background to the article which appeared in the "Evening News" yesterday and I very much hope that we will soon be able to engage more folk in the local community about how we build a Portobello that's stronger in the coming years.
 
                                                                                        Lawrence

[Guest]

I don't pretend to understand the political machinations behind all this, but it does strike me as being a bit daft to offer someone a 99 year lease on a prime piece of Council-owned land and, in doing so, to allow that company to effectively hold the Council to ransom. The owners of the Pitz don't own the land and they don't want to stay there - why should they share in the profits?

So the plan is to sell off most of the ground to a developer and to use the Council's share of the profit to build a new community centre? And a new library? It raises lots of questions. What kind of housing will be built? Will it be an asset to Portobello? What happens to the present community centre and library? I think Lawrence is right - we should all be included in these discussions. This piece of land has long been considered key to the regeneration of Portobello and that's something we all have a stake in. The superstore site, a new PHS - it's all inter-related and there are going to be some BIG decisions to make in the coming years. Understandably, there has been a degree of secrecy in the past regarding a 'masterplan' for Portobello, but it's time now to open up the debate to a much wider audience.