Two big planing issues
So, the Pairc windfarm and the new Nicolson Institute got through planning yesterday.
Both now have to go to the Minister for consideration; the former due to the size of the application and the later due to the advice of the HSE to advise against approval.
Watch both disappear into a black hole of bureaucracy. The school building project is, of course, integral to the entire PPP/PFI scheme and without clarity over the possibility of proceeding with the new school the plans to close others and move the children would seem to be premature.
One can only hope for speedy decisions, but based on past experience, I wouldn't be holding my breath.
Both now have to go to the Minister for consideration; the former due to the size of the application and the later due to the advice of the HSE to advise against approval.
Watch both disappear into a black hole of bureaucracy. The school building project is, of course, integral to the entire PPP/PFI scheme and without clarity over the possibility of proceeding with the new school the plans to close others and move the children would seem to be premature.
One can only hope for speedy decisions, but based on past experience, I wouldn't be holding my breath.
14 comments:
Well things might have moved a bit faster on the windfarm front if SSE had bothered to put in a decent ES. As it is, despite being given clear instructions at the outset they have obviously decided to wing it and seemingly omitted to mention issues which might cause them difficulty.
Unfortunately they have a watchful and hostile population to deal with. Any delay is their own fault, not the planning system, not the environment, not the islanders. SSE are a bad company and the sooner they are off the better.
well if the new nicolson plans were all deposited safely in the waste paper basket it would do us all a favour....
Seriously - its a disaster.
Angus,
I have no axe to grind on schools. I see the financial problems the Comhairle has and equally the concerns of parents.
There is a however of course. A new school must be built to offer those concerned parents a first rate school even if they eventually loose their local S1/2. They cannot be expected to see such a radical change when the option is into the slum the NI has become.
I feel the school would be better on a site such as Sandwick or the Airport rather than crambed into the existing foot print. So why in town? I suspect the vested interests of the school staff and the greed of the providers of junk food are leading this.
So the question is now what happens if concerned parents start stating it is unaccetable that their children go to a school designated by the HSE as at risk? If they make a legal challenge will even more time go by.
Build it out of town and build it now.
11:45 lemmie get this straight you are in favour of
1)those without cars not being able to get to school
2)those who can walk to school now not being able to any more
and 3) those who SHOULD be walking to school (weight probs,etc) not being able to
very sensible!
12:29
So what you are saying is that the school should be built to suit the needs of the minority who currently walk to school or live within half a mile of it (if they can stagger that far). What time do you think the kids from Point, Lochs, Back etc set off on their morning walk!
There is a, albeit currently confused, bus service that is dedicated to bring children to school - it would just be directed in a different direction and include those kids from town who currently are not already driven to school any way if they dont already use buses.
That was a selfish comment to suit some one who obviously lives in spitting distance of the Nicolson.
Health and Safety? remember this is the organisation that has us running courses on how to climb a stepladder/ lift a box off the floor/ label the tap with a sign reading DANGER HOT WATER. Can you take anything they come out with seriously? The site for the school is only a few metres inside the edge of the outer zone for 'danger', and that will vary according to the direction of the wind on any given day. My son will be in the Nicolson, and I am not concerned about how close the gas storage plant is- I am much more concerned about the volume of road traffic passing down Matheson Road, the drugs problem on the island, both legal and illegal, and the head-in-the-sand attitude of luddites in the council....
As for the moving the school out of town- yes lets have another 20 busses on the road every day, and evening, and back and fore from the games hall/ swimming pool......
Health and Safety? remember this is the organisation that has us running courses on how to climb a stepladder/ lift a box off the floor/ label the tap with a sign reading DANGER HOT WATER. Can you take anything they come out with seriously? The site for the school is only a few metres inside the edge of the outer zone for 'danger', and that will vary according to the direction of the wind on any given day. My son will be in the Nicolson, and I am not concerned about how close the gas storage plant is- I am much more concerned about the volume of road traffic passing down Matheson Road, the drugs problem on the island, both legal and illegal, and the head-in-the-sand attitude of luddites in the council....
As for the moving the school out of town- yes lets have another 20 busses on the road every day, and evening, and back and fore from the games hall/ swimming pool......
It really doesn't matter where the new NI is located, how asthetic it looks or how one has to transport one's kids to it.
The main issue is, if it still has and is crap on the inside, then all of the above things really don't matter.
The island has a massive problem with drugs, alcohol, obesity and general responsibility issues.
These issues are wearing off on the children and it seems that more busloads of shell suit wearing, dangerous dog pulling, people are moving up here on a daily basis.
The crap is coming in, the good is seeping out and we will be left with an un and under educated jobless population.
The only winners will probably be Pronto Pizza and the Chinese take-away.
Where's my one-way ticket??
Ah this is more like the standard of ranting I remember in the good old days of Angus alone, well done everyone.
4.31
Are you a double act?
Maybe we should look to the council as to the profile of people moving to the islands. I don't know if this is true but would dearly like to know if it is the case that the council receives payments of some sort from other authorities for rehousing problem families.
7.19
4.31 here, yes.
7.19
4.31 here, yes.
A few weeks ago I asked the question if the plans for the new school have a whopping great canteen? I have not a care one way or the other where the wretched place is built so long as the contents of it are kept in the school during lunchtimes and any other break times. The town centre is a no-go area at lunchtime when the oiks are let out. The HSE should not be worried about gas blasts but about the little dears being left to wander the streets whilst supposedly under the supervison of the school/CNES.
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