Yes, The Development that incriminates it`s fans..., is back this season with a new song for them "dig, dig, dig, dig digging, dig an escape route for me"
and today`s Evening News has a piece questioning the development???
Showing posts with label trevor davies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trevor davies. Show all posts
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Caltongate Panto to return for the next decade
Yes, hold the front page...Jim Lowrie rings The Scotsman and hey presto his makey uppy story appears as if by magic, with no word from the others that Brian Ferguson had to ring to make it appear there was some truth in the story...well it is panto time, remember this panto dame from December 2006, oh another chair of the "we love our property developer pals" planning committee at the comedy city chambers...
So back for another season is the old favourite THE COUNCIL`S NEW MASTERPLAN
Get your panstick back out Trevor..
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Twelve Days of Christmas 2009
It is almost that time of year once again, time for a trip down memory lane........or have they privatised that now???
A SENIOR city councillor has landed himself in hot water by making an obscene one-fingered gesture to carol-singing protesters.
Remember this from December 2006?
Full story here -Councillor in One Finger Salute
A SENIOR city councillor has landed himself in hot water by making an obscene one-fingered gesture to carol-singing protesters.
Remember this from December 2006?
Full story here -Councillor in One Finger Salute
Below is one of the carols adapted and sung by a group of Save Our Old Town Campaigners as councillors, architects and other wanabees entered a champagne reception hosted by Caltongate Developers Mountgrange at The Fruitmarket Gallery on Market Street, close to the proposed development.
Mountgrange director Manish Chande, lied in the press in May 2008. He claimed that the wife of Trevor Davies had verbal abuse shouted at her from one of the carol singing campaingers . We are still awaiting a retraction of this blatent lie.Full story here
Eleven planners planning
Ten global chain stores 
Nine builders building
Eight PR spinners
Seven legal experts
Six cows a conning
A five star hotel
Four wrecking balls
and Mountgrange now in admin....is...tra...tion
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Head of Planning to be investigated on Trump Application
"It is understood the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) could meanwhile launch an investigation into Aberdeenshire Council’s most senior planner.
The RTPI is examining a complaint from former member Bob Marshall, of Glasgow, claiming that planning director Christine Gore failed to act with integrity and independence while handling the Trump Organisation’s application."
The RTPI is examining a complaint from former member Bob Marshall, of Glasgow, claiming that planning director Christine Gore failed to act with integrity and independence while handling the Trump Organisation’s application."
and it reported that
"Almost three-quarters of Scots oppose using compulsory purchase orders to pave the way for the Trump golf resort, according to research.
A YouGov poll has revealed that 74% were against the use of the powers to help the tycoon buy more land for the £1billion complex at the Menie Estate at Balmedie.
Just 13% supported the idea."
A YouGov poll has revealed that 74% were against the use of the powers to help the tycoon buy more land for the £1billion complex at the Menie Estate at Balmedie.
Just 13% supported the idea."
so perhaps there is some justice and integrity left in our wee country?
check out a North East blog National Disgrace, Scoundrel and Extremist and what a town planner thinks
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Thursday, 12 February 2009
The Great Calton & Gate Swindle
Caltongate The Movie
STARRING
"The Developers"
"The Developers"
Manish "Its a 5 star hotel or nothing" Chande
&
Martin "The Silent One" Myers
Jim "laugh a minute" Lowrie present planning convenor
Donald " How I made Edinburgh"" Anderson, former City Leader, now Director of Mountgrange`s PR firm PPS Group Scotland
Trevor " the finger " Davies, former planning convenor
"The Architects"
Allan "Caltongate or Edinburgh must die " Murray
Malcolm "heritage bodies are toxic " Fraser
co starrring
Spin Doctor
Mark "Never Beaten PR" Cummings
Ron "rent a gob" Hewitt, Head of Chamber of Commerce
Historic Scotland
Friday, 23 January 2009
Where are they now????
This is what it says on Trevor the finger Davies, Caltongate Devottee - former planning convener - written most probably by his number one fan himself
" Trevor Davies is an honorary Professor in Urban Studies in the University of Glasgow (now contain yourself from keeling over with laughter) with a degree in economics.
From 2003 until 2007 he was Convener of the Planning Committee for the City of Edinburgh Council. Edinburgh faces substantial planning issues as one of the fastest growing cities in the UK, balancing the exceptional and large demands for development with the conservation of its unique build heritage. (Aye that will be right, they hate heritage)
In response to that challenge, Trevor appointed Sir Terry Farrell as the first City Design Champion and created the UK’s first City Design Initiative. He has extensive experience of and skills in the leadership of place making and planning policy formulation.TPS Public Affair Clients"
What it says on another former Caltongate devottee planner Spence, another one who went to Mountgrange`s champagne reception....
"Ian Spence is a highly experienced architect and town planner. He started his career as an architect in both the private and public sectors, latterly becoming design team leader. Invited to Edinburgh Council to establish an Urban Design unit. Developed urban design practice within the Council’s Planning Service – dealt with strategic development and directly processed many major planning applications. Upon local government re-organisation he was appointed Conservation and Design Manager (Assistant Director position equivalent). Ian was subsequently appointed as Development Quality Manager (with broader responsibilities – deputising for Head of Planning when necessary). " TPS Planning Clients
PPS Group Scotlandis headed up by Donald Anderson. The office has seen success in recent years and built a team of specialists that can assist on schemes large and small. They are currently involved in new settlements, city-centre mixed-use schemes, waste management projects, casinos, retail redevelopments and wind farms. Their current clients include, BAe Systems, Gala Casinos, The Junction, Land Securities, Redrow and Sainsbury's.
PPS Group motto -"Call PPS if ...you need to undertake community consultation or if you feel your scheme may run into political or community opposition."
PPS Group motto -"Call PPS if ...you need to undertake community consultation or if you feel your scheme may run into political or community opposition."
Now we all remember wee Donald don`t we? Another rude arrogant man who when a Labour leader of the capital wined and dined with the developers.
An Invicata Public Affairs works day out
The company PPS Group which has appeared in Private Eye about their dodgy practices he works for is none other than Caltongate developers Mountgrange PR company....which another horror Mark Cummings spin doctor of the worst kind ever, worked for, who has now set up his own spinning lair called Never Beaten...with a bevvy of beauties he`s doing his best for the worst for Scotland......
So all of the above have gone from public to private, using all their contacts and knowledge to help drive through planning applications, well knock us down with a feather..............
more on this to come...
more on this to come...
Sunday, 23 November 2008
12 Days Of Christmas from SOOT
Its almost that time of year once again, time for a trip down memory lane........or have they privatised that now???
Eleven planners planning
A SENIOR city councillor has landed himself in hot water by making an obscene one-fingered gesture to carol-singing protesters.
Remember that from December 2006?
Full story here -Councillor in One Finger Salute
Below is one of the carols adapted and sung by a group of Save Our Old Town Campaigners as councillors and other officials entered a champagne reception hosted by Caltongate Developers Mountgrange at The Fruitmarket Gallery on Market Street, close to the proposed development.
Mountgrange director Manish Chande, lied in the press in May this year (2008). He claimed that the wife of Trevor Davie had verbal abuse shouted at her from one of the carol singing campaingers . We are still awaiting a retraction of this blatent lie.Full story here
On the twelfth day of Christmas My council sent to me:
Twelve diggers digging
Eleven planners planning
Ten global chain stores
Nine builders building
Eight PR spinners
Seven legal experts
Six cows a conning
Monday, 1 September 2008
Does Edinburgh Deserve Caltongate?
Edinburgh is Being Vandalised yesterdays posting found us this great image, source unknown....and got us here in the Republic thinking, is Caltongate merely a reflection of the self obsessed, greedy times we have been living in for the past decade or so? Maybe now that those times are coming to an end....so will the threat of Caltongate ...
This article Architect Hits Back in Edinburgh UNESCO Row in Building Design "The Architect`s Website" on the 29th Aug 08 the following comments on it are worth more of a look than the article ....
Thursday, 1 May 2008
Waiting on Mr Chande
The letter below appears in todays Evening News Letters pages, it was in response to a blatant piece of propoganda by developers Mountgrange`s boss Manish Chande which was entitled "King of Caltongate heads for victory"
Well, here in the Independent Republic, this had us laughing out loud, "KING" so he wants to rule people? only problem is the place he wants to rule does not even exist!!! Well, in his mind perhaps. And "Victory"? who has he been at war with?
We await Mr Chandes`s retraction of the defamatory statement in the article, the rest of the article should be retracted too....but this statement is the one that requires immediate action.
Letter -- The Evening News has chosen the title
"Pointing the finger of blame at Davies"
I WAS very disappointed to read your article entitled " King of Caltongate heads for victory" in your paper on April 29. I found the entire piece highly misleading and insulting.
The inaccurate telling of events at the 2006 Christmas party hosted by Mountgrange where myself and others from age two to 72 were singing Christmas carols as guests entered the party, requires urgent attention.
The inaccurate telling of events at the 2006 Christmas party hosted by Mountgrange where myself and others from age two to 72 were singing Christmas carols as guests entered the party, requires urgent attention.
Manish Chande said in the article: "The convener was coming in when someone hurled some abuse at his wife, and like any husband, he reacted. Maybe he shouldn't have but he's a human being and that's human nature."I had my two-year-old daughter Lily in my arms when the then planning convener Trevor Davies arrived with his wife. As we were singing a carol, Trevor Davies turned around, and appearing vexed stuck his middle finger up at Lily, myself and our neighbour; his wife looked embarrassed, quickly grabbed her husband by the jacket and pulled him in to the reception.
The incident was reported to Standards Commission and the following is an excerpt from their findings:"In the absence of a denial by the respondent of the complainants' specific description of his reaction and his admission to having made a small gesture I was inclined to the belief that the complainants' version of events more accurately described the respondent's reaction."
I now request that Manish Chande publicly apologise and retract this defamatory comment at the earliest opportunity.
Sally Richardson,
Secretary of The Canongate Community Forum,
Canongate
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Not so long ago there lived a council who cared so much for fancy schemes, they spent all the city’s money upon them, and on junkets and on rebranding the city and the like. They gave no thought to their citizens or to the affairs of their city. They had a new idea for every hour of the day and spent most of their time in the pages of the local papers so that everyone might see their wonderful projects.
"We must have lots of developments made from these materials and architecture," thought the council. "When the people see the development, we shall know the clever people from the dunces. That developer must be brought to us at once."
"We will send our faithful old Leader Donald Anderson to see it," thought the council. "He is a very clever man, and no one is more worthy of his office than he."
So good old Donald went into the room where the developer and architect sat with the masterplan.
He stared and stared, and opened his eyes wide."Mercy on us!" he thought. "It’s monstrous” But he said nothing at all."Come a little closer," coaxed the architect. "Is not this a beautiful masterplan? And the buildings- are they not magnificent?" And he pointed to the concrete blocks. Poor old Donald put on his spectacles and bent over the plans, but he could see only a vision from hell!
"Mercy!" he said to himself. "Is it possible that I am unfit for my office? Certainly no one must know it. Am I a dunce? It will never do to say that I cannot see the beauty!""Well sir, what do you think of it?" asked the developer."Oh, it is charming - beautiful," said Donald, as he peered through his spectacles.
"The buildings are gorgeous and the layout is very fine. I shall tell the council that I am much pleased with your work." "We are very glad to hear you say so," said the developer and architects. And they went on talking of the masterplan. They had named it Caltongate, and described the peculiar layout. Donald listened carefully, for he wished to repeat to the Council all that was said.
Soon the developers began a consultation on the masterplan.
"Is this not magnificent masterplan?" asked the developers. And then they praised the gorgeous architecture and explained how it was a once in a generation opportunity for the city, which it certainly was not.
Then all of the council knew that they must view the marvellous masterplan.They went to view it along with Trevor, Donald and Alan, who thinking that the others would see how monstrous it was, all began to cry out at once, "Look, everyone, do you see the beautiful design? And the buildings- aren’t they gorgeous?”"See!" the developer said. "There are the beautiful buildings! Here is the economic argument! It’s an all or nothing deal. You may act as if this will not affect the world heritage status. That is the beauty of it."
"What is this?" thought the Councillors. They could only see a monstrous development not right for the world heritage site! “Are we not fit to be councillors? Am we dunces? If that were known, we should be deposed.""Yes, yes, it is very pretty," said the councillors aloud. "We could not be better pleased!" They smiled and nodded their heads, and stared at the horrific masterplan.
Their officials too, looked and looked, but saw only what the others saw.
So then the people in the city were allowed to gaze at the masterplan for they too wanted to see the magical Caltongate"How handsome the Councils Caltongate is!" they all cried. "What a perfect fit for the World Heritage Site! What marvellous architecture"
And the Council, hearing what they said, shivered, for they knew that their words were true. But it would never do to stop the process; and so they held themselves stiffer than ever.
As the day of the committee came nearer, the PR team worked with might and main.
The developers then pretended to listen again, to the local community, while they drew up the detailed plans. They sent out more promotion all over the city. They wined and dined whoever they had to and Alistair Darling gave money towards their underground heating although this will not serve the peoples housing.
"How well the city will do with this new development." says the Chamber of Commerce? "What a becoming style! What beautiful economic arguments! They are indeed fit for the world heritage site!" The Chamber gave the developer Manish Chande a key position, and the architect was told he could redesign the entire city.
In the following year after the masterplan was approved, Donald and Trevor were not re-elected. But alas Trevor carries on his love for Caltongate in the local press from time to time and Donald now works for the developers’ infamous PR firm PPS. Alan Henderson is still in office and has just recommended that the new planning committee approve the individual plans on the 6th of February.
But now she too is seeing the Council`s New Masterplan -Council leader Jenny Dawe said: "The Caltongate development will breathe new life into a neglected part of the Old Town.".Article
Press Coverage
Scotsman Article OpinionPieceScotsman
PPSGROUP OTHERS
Now this week despite even Unesco saying the scheme should be scrapped the council are still singing its praises
from The Scotsman 6th June 09 -
"A decision on the Caltongate scheme has been considered and agreed by the planning committee. We are of course aware of the comments made by Unesco in their draft report and we await the outcome of the World Heritage Committee later this month."
and today there is a laughable piece in the vain of "jobs can be used to justify any nonsense" in the Evening News that they wrote based on this piece of nonsense