Learning to share would help get new school built

MAE McCABE (Interactive, May 19) makes a fair-minded suggestion for a solution to the debate about Portobello High School – namely, why can't everyone share?

She also makes the point that the school will be returning home to Park Avenue, which is the first time I have seen mention of this.

Various sizes are being bandied about but from what I can piece together, around 15 hectares of park/golf course will remain after the school is built.

So why does anyone who currently uses the park need to be displaced?

Reduce the size of the easy nine-hole leisure course and remodel the park. Seems like a sensible compromise.

From what I understand, the tree line will be retained and the overall number of trees in the park so the environmental impact should be minimal.

Combine that with the proposed eco-friendly building for the school and the impact should even be positive overall

Share and share alike is a great way for a community to get along. I don't know why this idea has not come forward before now, but it's a very good one, and if it saves the city tens of millions of pounds, so much the better
Matthew McGhee, Pilrig Heights, Edinburgh

Porty High should respect community
I VISITED the publicly owned Portobello Park last Saturday, which as usual was very busy. The golf course was full. Little boys were playing football watched by their parents. There were joggers, dog walkers etc. etc. The whole of the park is continually well used.

St Thomas's, Boroughmuir and St John's all want to stay on their sites where they are part of the local community. They want to retain at least part of their buildings. It is surprising that Portobello High School feels no such empathy with the local community.

The loss of Portobello Park would be very short-sighted, and whilst it might solve an immediate problem, it would do much more damage to the area in the long run, damage from which East Edinburgh cannot recover.
Sheila Fletcher, Duddingston Village, Edinburgh

Building on park is taxpayers' choice
THE wider community of Edinburgh, the people who will fund and pay for the running of a new Portobello High School, have spoken. Their elected representatives gave unanimous support for building a school in Portobello Park. They don't want to spend £30 million on an inferior school on the existing site, they are prepared to allow children and staff benefit from a green, pleasant environment.
Stephen McIntyre, Portobello High Street, Edinburgh

We're putting our trains on right track
WE are sorry to learn that Gary Smith had an unsatisfactory journey (Interactive, May 17).

From his comments, I can only assume that he travelled on a non-refurbished diesel High Speed Train. These trains are being rebuilt with new interiors for a more comfortable ride. We have finished six to date with a further seven to follow. The trains are also being fitted with new, more reliable and more fuel-efficient engines. Our 30-strong electric train fleet has already been rebuilt to popular acclaim.

In total we are spending £44 million on trains, stations, people and technology to create a bigger and better railway on this flagship route. And we are attracting record numbers of customers, many of whom are switching from the plane to the train as they discover the benefits of free Wi-Fi (introduced on day one of our new franchise), improved on-board catering (re-launched this week), better punctuality, fewer CO2 emissions and fares from Edinburgh to London from £14. There is a lot more to do, but we are getting on with it.
John Gelson, media relations manager, National Express East Coast, Station Road, York

Give us back all those NHS savings
WHEN I was born in 1945 a pregnant woman was asked to enter hospital roughly three days before her baby was born, and left roughly three days after, meaning that the cost to the NHS for every baby then born was equal to the cost of seven days intensive maternity care. Over the years maternity ward staff in all parts of the UK have repeatedly claimed that the care they get time to deliver was getting increasingly less-suited to the individual mother and baby's needs, to the point that many mothers were nearly subjected to surgery in order to get the birth over and her bed vacated.

Recently my niece was repeatedly told over the phone to remain home, or sent home from hospital on arrival until her contractions were such that she was eventually asked to return. She arrived, her baby was born three hours after and she was home three hours later. A total of six hours maternity care as against seven days.

The question that must be asked by us all is: "What has government been doing with the vast amount of taxpayers' money saved year in, year out? Certainly not using it to benefit us all by reducing income tax bills.
Gordon Lothian, Restalrig House, Restalrig Gardens, Edinburgh

Thanks to samaritan and paramedic crew
I WAS walking from Waverley Station on last Saturday night to my B&B in Newington when I became ill having suffered a diabetic low blood sugar episode.

A young lady came to my aid and helped me calling an ambulance and staying with me until it arrived. The ambulancemen did their duty and got me back to normal before allowing me to continue.

I'd like to thank these paramedics for their friendly assistance and care and also especially to the young lady who stopped to assist. Without them all I would maybe have to be hospitalised thus ruining my weekend so I am extremely grateful. I do hope they all see this letter and realise their assistance was greatly appreciated.
W Macmillan, Scott Road, Solihull, West Midlands