Five things you need to know today

The report outlines the various options around building the new Portobello High School. There are a couple of Facebook pages which you might also like to read. The first is the New Porty High School in the Park and the second is Save Porty Park.

Council Leader, Andrew Burns and Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener, met with Derek Mackay, Minister for Local Government and Planning last week to discuss the issue.  It was apparently agreed that a Private Bill, to be presented to Parliament, is a positive way forward and should be focussed on.

Councillor Paul Godzik said, “We’ve been clear we want to build on the park and this report shows that this makes sense both in terms of cost, time and taking into consideration the quality of school we want to build.

“We believe, along with the Scottish Government, that a Private Bill, promoted by us and shaped around the specific needs of the Portobello community, presents the best opportunity for us to demonstrate to the Scottish Parliament why it should support measures which would enable us to build a school to be proud of in Portobello Park.

“Portobello Park is the best option, bar none, and we will be working with the community in the coming months to explain the options and seek their views.  We firmly believe that Portobello Park has the support of the vast majority of people in the area.”

Derek Mackay, MSP said, “It is clear that a new school for the Portobello community needs to be built urgently. We have had a very constructive first meeting with the Council and we will continue to work with colleagues there in case there is appropriate help we can offer. ”

The report also details the other options which have been previously identified as possible fall-back solutions.  The issue of the land’s classification as inalienable common good and whether this is something which should be considered by the courts has now been resolved.  The extensive review which has been undertaken and the legal advice received has concluded that any attempt to question the status that the land is inalienable common good would most likely be pointless and result in no change in the classification.

Further to this the report recommends a bid is placed for the former Scottish Power site at Baileyfield which would act as one of the fall-back options.  A full statutory consultation will be carried out next year to decide whether this location or rebuilding on the current side would prove the preferable option should it prove impossible to build on Portobello Park.