Horror "Fun" fair is back

jimann · Post by **jimann** » 27 Jan 2008, 04:06

According to a reliable source (the residents of Baileyfield/Fishwives Causeway) that awful "fun" fair is coming back to the Baileyfield site again this Easter - as I've said elsewhere on this site, this is a deliberate action by B.L., the site developers, to make us so miserable with the fair, that we'll accept anything better in future.

Be under no illusion - these people, however "nice" they may seem when dealing with the people of Porty, are only interested in making money at the least cost to themselves.
They have to gain revenue from the land while they try to ingratiate themselves with the Portobello Community - so what do they do, they bring back a funfair that raised at least 300 complaints to the Police last year, and on a personal note, brought over £1,000 worth of vandalism to my family's 2 cars, and £500 worth of smashed windows for a neighbour - don't be taken in, they are business people first, and only first.

They'll try to get their way by any means possible, but will not take responsibility for their actions in bringing this monstrosity to Porty, and which attracts the lowest form of pond life you can imagine!

If you are asked to sign a petition, please do, and get anyone else you know to sign it! The wee people fight back!!!

Skeely · Post by **Skeely** » 27 Jan 2008, 11:37

Sorry to hear about your cars, I hope they were insured. I loved the fair last year, and look forward to going this year too. Does this make me pond life?

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 27 Jan 2008, 11:57

Can I ask where you got the figure of 300 complaints jimann? I ask because, when I checked with the local police about volume and type of complaint, the figures at that time were nowhere near that number and seemed largely confined to disturbances on the opening night. The stories on here about rampaging gangs of drunken, knife carrying, youths seem to have been urban myths.

However, I feel for you and your neighbour - vandalism is costly (both in money and time) and threatening. I also think the Fun Fair must be very intrusive for the residents of Baileyfield cottages.

I'm unconvinced, however, that it is a deliberate ploy of BL Developments to somehow force the locals to accept any old development on the old Scottish Power site. I can fully understand why they may wish to get some sort of income from the land. Until the North West Portobello Development Plan is finalised they are unable to progress with any development on the site and they must have a lot of money tied up in a site which, at the moment, is only costing them money.

jimann · Post by **jimann** » 29 Jan 2008, 21:08

Skeely wrote:Sorry to hear about your cars, I hope they were insured. I loved the fair last year, and look forward to going this year too. Does this make me pond life?

Skeely - I know my "pond life" comment was very generalistic, but when these things happen to you, the last thing you can enjoy is the funfair. The trouble we had, only happened while the fair was there, and apart from the wrecked cars and smashed windows, we had some drunken yobs smashing their bottles around our area in the estate, as well as night after night of noise and drunken behaviour.

Marya - The figure of 300 complaints was given to the neighbour with the smashed windows, and yes, I agree that any business should not have trade restricted while planning decisions are being made but, surely some of fight against the superstore was based on an increase of noise, pollution, traffic the store would bring - it so happens that the fair, albeit for only 3 weeks, brought an increase in noise , pollution (litter), traffic, AND the above mentioned anti social behaviour as an added bonus!!

And we only live over the road from it! Imagine what was happening around the cottages at Baileyfield, plus the Ford garage - I dread to think!

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 29 Jan 2008, 21:22

The petition reads as follows:

Susan Clark
Senior Solicitor
Licensing Section
249 High Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1YJ

We the undersigned, most strongly object and protest to the issue of a Temporary Public Entertainment Licence to the representative of M&D, for the purpose of setting up a funfair at a site at Fishwife's Causeway, Portobello, the dates being from 21st March to 6th April 2008. This being about the same time at Easter as last year, 2007.

This created a large volume of noise and disturbance, with music and visiting public behaviour on the street.

To let you understand, we here in Portobello did not get a fair say about last year's licence issue as no one in Portobello knew about it. This was due to normal consultation procedures not being followed. This was the information received by the Rt. Hon. Gavin Strang M.P. to a letter he sent to Mr Jim Inch, the Director of Corporate Services. As Gavin Strang is the Member of Parliament for Portobello, his point was that it should not happen again.

Yours sincerely