Portobello High School Off-Site Improvements (Wed 3 Nov)

[wangi]

Dear All

A special meeting has been arranged to consider options in relation to the new Portobello High School off-site improvements. This meeting will be held on: Wednesday 3 November at 7.30pm in Portobello Town Hall. All local people are welcome to come and take part.
The background to this is as follows. As part of a package of open space improvements as compensation for the loss of Portobello Park, a sum of £150,000 has been identified for additional off-site open space improvements.

The Portobello and Craigmillar Neighbourhood Partnership have been asked, as a body which includes wide representation from the local community, to determine what the most appropriate and beneficial use of this funding will be. Residents adjacent to the new school will be most affected by the loss of green space and it is anticipated that the improvements may be in this area. It is acknowledged that children from the Craigentinny & Duddingston area attend Portobello High school and an invitation is extended to residents in Craigentinny & Duddingston area who wish to attend the meeting to make suggestions and express their views.

As part of the Pre-Planning Consultation process views were invited regarding what off-site improvement works might be undertaken. A wide range of suggestions were received. The suggestions have been summarised below in the following four broad categories:

1. Updates and improvements for existing play parks.

2. Facilities for older children to keep them active and out of trouble.

3. General green landscaping improvements around local areas.

4. Enhancements to more urban landscapes.

The Neighbourhood Partnership agreed to delegate to the Environment Forum to prioritise the best use within the community of the £150k funding. This special meeting of the Environment Forum is being held to prioritise which suggestions will be taken forward for consideration by the Neighbourhood Partnership at their December meeting.

The attached table has been created by the East Neighbourhood Parks Team on existing known plans and priorities to assist considerations on which suggestions should be taken forward. Estimated costs, based on similar facilities which have been built recently in Edinburgh, have also been given where available.

If you have any further suggestions for additional open space improvements please let Karen karen.reeves@edinburgh.gov.uk or Scott scott.thomson@edinburgh.gov.uk know before the meeting.

[Bob Jefferson]

The remaining sum of £150k won't go far. For example, a number of people favour a 'Meadows-style' playpark at Straiton. I have a lot of sympathy with that idea. The Meadows playpark is hugely popular and such a facility would serve both local residents and visitors to the area, but the estimate for this is £400k and I can't see where the rest of the money might come from.