Letters: Portobello protesters have pulled a community apart

Portobello is diminished as a community, as a desirable place to raise a family and as a progressive community.

As an area, we have parks and ‘green space’ aplenty, even a beach. Despite this and the acknowledged need to provide a new school, PPAG’s argument was thinly disguised, malevolent self interest, which has successfully divided the community and condemned children and teachers to make do with a sub-standard school for many more years to come.

Instead of a state-of-the-art school, the community retain an under-utilised patch of empty grassland (no children’s play facilities available), used primarily as a convenient toilet by local dog walkers. If ever there was a hollow victory this is it.

PPAG, reflect on what you have saved and compare that to the current and future Portobello High School children whose education and life chances you have undermined.

Reflect on how you stopped a school, now there’s something to be proud about, something your kids and grandchildren I’m sure will understand and respect you for. Mine don’t.

John Hill, Portobello

TV or not TV is the big poll question

Dave Cochrane (Letters, September 12) is wrong when he claims that the BBC spends as much as it raises in Scotland, as we pay about £300 million in licence fees but annual BBC expenditure in Scotland is £100m with huge cuts to come.

So far as his scaremongering about not getting major BBC programmes is concerned, is he saying that after independence a Labour government in London would not come to an amicable arrangement with its Scottish counterpart?

However, if London imposes geo-blocking, those who feel they must have all the London-centric BBC programmes can easily get round this if they have a computer and do a little research.

Whilst in Thailand my Scottish hosts watched the previous night’s UK episodes of Taggart and Strictly Come Dancing downloaded on to their giant TV screen.

With regard to the cost of licence fee in Norway, Mr Cochrane ignores the fact that wages and standards of living are very much higher in oil-rich Norway.

Fraser Grant, Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh

NHS should be at centre of care

SO much has been spoken and written about care, whether in hospital, at home or in care homes.

In the light of investigations, inquiries and some awful revelations, there seems to be an agreement that a huge problem exists and with an ageing population it is a growing one which must be tackled now.

Good caring in all of its forms cannot be done on the cheap.

No-one knows the future health of ourselves or our families, but we can make sure that there is an excellent National Health Service, fully trained, fully staffed and fully funded, giving care and dignity to our loved ones in their time of need.

A Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens, Edinburgh