New Wick High School - Site debate (merged threads)

[glaikit]

That is absolutely shocking!!! Talk about taking us for a bunch of mugs

'Councillors appear to have lost sight of one basic, vital, fact - it is our money they are spending and we have a right to say what it should be spent on. It is time for them to sit up and take note - we vote them into positions of power and we can vote them out again! Our local councillors represent the local people, not those in office in Inverness. One can only make assumptions about why Bignold Park has been chosen as their preferred site.'

Amen to that Prof: you lead the way and we'll be right behind you, whatever our viewpoints; at least I hope we will.

[wickplayer]

I'm sorry to say but everyone was moaning about the state of the school a few months ago now there is a plausable solution people are turning against it. I know the current building is a huge mess but isn't it the quality of the EDUCATION the students get. Is it the surroundings that are teaching the kids?

[WICKER10]

That is absolutely shocking!!! Talk about taking us for a bunch of mugs

'Councillors appear to have lost sight of one basic, vital, fact - it is our money they are spending and we have a right to say what it should be spent on. It is time for them to sit up and take note - we vote them into positions of power and we can vote them out again! Our local councillors represent the local people, not those in office in Inverness. One can only make assumptions about why Bignold Park has been chosen as their preferred site.'

Amen to that Prof: you lead the way and we'll be right behind you, whatever our viewpoints; at least I hope we will.

Well Said so true.I hope to see all our Councillors at the meeting next Monday Night about the school

[veritas]

fair enough if annoys you so much Removed !! but it is relivent I think

[veritas]

That is absolutely shocking!!! Talk about taking us for a bunch of mugs

'Councillors appear to have lost sight of one basic, vital, fact - it is our money they are spending and we have a right to say what it should be spent on. It is time for them to sit up and take note - we vote them into positions of power and we can vote them out again! Our local councillors represent the local people, not those in office in Inverness. One can only make assumptions about why Bignold Park has been chosen as their preferred site.'

Amen to that Prof: you lead the way and we'll be right behind you, whatever our viewpoints; at least I hope we will.

Actualy when you talk about "Our money" as 18m is being funded by Scottsih Governemnt then that is being funded by the population of Scotland 5m ignoring the fact most of our money comes from the UK government the remaining 12m will be funded by Highland Council which we (Caithnesss only makes up 11%) so the amount each person is personally contributing is about £56 including all non tax payers so whereas the whole of Caithness is contributing towards about £1.4m the rest of the country is contributing the remaining £28.6m perhaps we should be asking them

[Venture]

Actualy when you talk about "Our money" as 18m is being funded by Scottsih Governemnt then that is being funded by the population of Scotland 5m ignoring the fact most of our money comes from the UK government the remaining 12m will be funded by Highland Council which we (Caithnesss only makes up 11%) so the amount each person is personally contributing is about £56 including all non tax payers so whereas the whole of Caithness is contributing towards about £1.4m the rest of the country is contributing the remaining £28.6m perhaps we should be asking them

Don't forget if it hadn't been for the likes of Mr Baikie, whose name you seem to be so fond of quoting, there certainly wouldn't be the £18M from the Scottish Government. In fact there probably wouldn't even be a school.

It's high time money was being spent in Caithness. Inverness have certainly had their share and more of "everybody's" money as you describe it.

So does this mean then that the rest of the country will also be contributing towards the new council offices?

[veritas]

Don't forget if it hadn't been for the likes of Mr Baikie, whose name you seem to be so fond of quoting, there certainly wouldn't be the £18M from the Scottish Government. In fact there probably wouldn't even be a school.

It's high time money was being spent in Caithness. Inverness have certainly had their share and more of "everybody's" money as you describe it.

So does this mean then that the rest of the country will also be contributing towards the new council offices?

yep I guess so that the way funding works (by the way I agree we should be getting more spent here) juts pointing out tongue in cheek who money it is!!

[glaikit]

We could even break it down to who's paying the most tax in the area. Maybe we could build a school for the parents who are paying the most and leave the poor kids in the falling down school cos their Mums and Dad aint paid enough.

Better still, lets give everyone opportunities based solely on their parents' incomes altogether. That way we can keep all the snotty, poor kids away from those who are entitled to better by virtue of their birth. Just think, all the schools from Manchester upwards (excluding Edinburgh of course) could operate on this system and we'd save a fortune. Get the poorhouses back up and running and we're sorted.

Won't be any of this silly 'having an opinion' then.

In fact, why bother educated the lower income classes at all?

[katarina]

I
Cons for Existing Site
Restricted access
West Banks Terrace and Newton Road Access narrow housing both sides in West Banks
Very close to Hood Street
Restricted space for community facilities
Loss of playing facilities while new school is built

the access isn't all that restricted, only slightly.
Only on one side where the school is.
Why should proximity to Hood street come into the equation?
Well scrap the community favilities - we already have them in town.
Send them up to the Bignold park to play!

[florence]

Pros for Existing Site
Council Owned
Near Existing School
Has Ian Baikies Support
Doesn’t affect Bignold Park

Cons for Existing Site
Restricted access
West Banks Terrace and Newton Road Access narrow housing both sides in West Banks
Very close to Hood Street
Restricted space for community facilities
Loss of playing facilities while new school is built

Pros for Bignold Park
Council Owned
More room for community facilities
Open space
Will allow existing school playing field to be developed
Good access
Northcote Street and Harrowhill wide with housing only on one side
Retention of existing school and playing facilities while new school is built

Cons for Bignold park
Doesn’t have Ian Baikies Support
Loss of open space
Possible title restrictions
Public reaction?
Loss of existing football pitches while new school is built[/quote]

Veritas you appear informed on a few areas of this debate, and some legal matters. What has the proximity to Hood Street have to do with debate ? I think open space should be moved from pros to cons on the Bignold side.

[scorrie]

Why should proximity to Hood street come into the equation?

Indeed, there are only eight houses in that street and, whisper it to them, they are already close to a School!!

[Tubthumper]

What has the proximity to Hood Street have to do with debate ?

What has proximity to housing got to do with it full stop? If a great big windfarm can be approved on the basis of 'for the greater good' why can't a school? After all, it's for the good of the people of the town, isn't it?

[florence]

Thanks veritas for mentioning Iain Baikie in your post, it has reminded me of the letter submitted by him in today's Courier.

http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/...ew_school.html

There are a few who will not like what he has said.

I predict some u-turns, denials and date changes on the way.

I think Mr Baikie clearly displays priorities that put our children's future education first. Our councillors have so many over-lapping interests that I fear they'll tie themselves up in knots and it is this project that will suffer. This letter is pitched at an appropriate level that demands answers and change that is necessary for the WHS project to succeed. Both barrels, well done.

[fender]

Oh joy. Another n.i.m.b.y. letter from east banks in the press.

[katarina]

Another letter in JOJ from councilor MacNab in groat today. Talks very persuasively about new school. Yes, we all want a new school - but no one has answered my question yet about Thistle park.
I live nowhere near the bignold park, but would join a sit in, if it meant stopping building there.

[fingalmacool]

I think NIMBY has been mentioned already, and it seems that there are a lot of politician speak going on in the paper today which has many meanings, so I applaud the artistry so to speak, quote 1, Out of respect for him (Prof Baikie) I have to respond, in other words I feel he hasn't a clue what he's talking about, and another blow beneath the belt, "he has a relation staying in Northcote Street", in other words he has a vested interest, OUCH!!
And lets not forget the broadside to the punters, "whats the use of holding a petition, all of you will be intimidated and confused etc etc, in other words, do i have to spell it out i think not.
And lets not forget the kicker, if you don't make your mind up they will pull the funding, are you all scared know, I think not.
I don't usually read the letters that are put into the local paper but was gob smacked at the size of the response so felt the need to at least skim it, but when i read that a head came over the parapet, i thought well that doesn't happen too often, so i better read on. Councilors heads should be permanently over the parapet, because if they are not they haven't a clue whats going on around them

[Alice in Blunderland]

but no one has answered my question yet about Thistle park.

Katarina if you mean the ground between the old coastguard houses and Thistle Park I think that site has been designated for houses. In fact I'm sure I heard that work is to start there shortly.

I believe Venture touched on this in her post.

[Venture]

In last week's Groat:
However, a Highland Council spokesman said yesterday that the meeting in Inverness would be considering a recommendation not to spend £30m on five care homes and actually to invest £130 million in education.

"The council is making education its number one priority. Wick is earmarked to get £30 million, of which £18.4 million will come from the Scottish Government. That is fantastic news for Wick," he said.
"It is a fantastic deal. We have to meet one third of the cost and Wick gets a new school, library, swimming pool and performance area."


This week in the Groat by Mrs Macnab:
This meeting, however, only secures the funding and has no reflection on where it is spent. It is a five-year capital plan and the only decision which was being made yesterday was "are these our priorities", not how the funding is spent. Every single one will come back separately with a detailed business plan, options and if necessary go through a consultation process. When that time comes the decision will not be made by local councillors alone but by a whole committee.

[katarina]

I believe Venture touched on this in her post.

That was my first post. i meant the second one.

[Alice in Blunderland]

That was my first post. i meant the second one.

Apologies so many posts I have missed that one.