EDINBURGH City Council is locked in a legal battle with a local action group over plans to build a new school.
Portobello Park Action Group (PPAG) has raised a petition in the Court of Session in a bid to stop the council from building the new Portobello High School in the Edinburgh park.
The action group claim the proposed school will result in the irreversible loss of 25% of the area’s parkland and have urged the council to consider building the school elsewhere.
However, the council has vowed to “vigorously” defend its plans, claiming that there are no legal impediments to prevent building on the site.
Council education leader Marilyne MacLaren said: “Portobello High is the school most in need of replacement in the city and I’m hugely disappointed that a small group of local residents are trying to stop it.
“This group have known about our plans for many years and has actively participated in the consultation and planning process. And yet they have waited until we’re just about to appoint a contractor before taking this action.
“I was really pleased when the project team managed to find a way to pull forward the school opening date to August 2013 and I’m bitterly disappointed that we will now have to go back to the original date of January 2014 because of the court action.”
The initial consultation period for the proposed school took place in 2006 and funding was agreed by councillors in February 2009.
Since then, consultation has taken place with the local community on the designs for the new building and planning permission has been granted.
PPAG is now appealing for donations to help fund its legal costs in the fight against the plans.
However, Councillor MacLaren claimed that the vast majority of residents in the area are in favour of the new school.
No-one from PPAG was available for comment.
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