Consultations on Portobello Issues.

Discussion and debate on the issues affecting Portobello
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Porty
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Consultations on Portobello Issues.

Post by Porty » 04 Jul 2007, 13:10

Seems like there has been a flurry of consultations on issues Portobello over the last couple of years but when is a consultation not a consultation?

At the last CC meeting there were claims among my fellow councillors that the general public had not been consulted on the schools issue. Our chairman is proposing to include the following statement in his response to the Edinburgh Plan.

"It was pointed out that although the local schools and parents have been widely consulted on new schools proposals, there has been no consultation with the general public on this major change of land use

However, in October 2006 there was a full public meeting at Portobello town hall, which was attended by leading council figures, the independent consultants and hundreds of Portobello residents, the majority of whom were from the greater community. This meeting was over and above the statutory requirement in the educational consultation. The Q and A were fully recorded and formed part of the paper on which the council took a unanimous decision.

Many of my fellow community councillors attended this meeting yet some of them obviously feel that there was no consultation.

So my question is, if thats not a consultation then what is?

My other question is; can anyone give an example of a model for a true consultation?

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Pal of Porty
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Re: Consultations on Portobello Issues.

Post by Pal of Porty » 04 Jul 2007, 13:52

Porty wrote:..At the last CC meeting there were claims among my fellow councillors that the general public had not been consulted on the schools issue.
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

P.S. Maybe they mean if you don't agree with a consultation, it's not a consultation. 8)
Justice delayed is justice denied.

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Porty
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Post by Porty » 04 Jul 2007, 21:54

Oh I've no doubt that's what some of them mean.

Its a really odd stance for a community council to take, they know that there was a public meeting where everyone was invited along to give their views as part of a legal consultation. They then go into writing saying that there was no consultation. Where does that place us for any future consultations? Public meetings don't count?

BTT: if public meetings conducted as part of a legal consultation don't count as consultation, what does?

Are there any examples of "true" consultation?

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