Mark Cummings - Invicta PR latest

From The Sunday Times by Jason Allardyce August 9, 2009

Labour candidate ‘was sent sectarian messages’

Lothian and Borders police are studying offensive text messages received by Dunfermline and West Fife candidate Thomas Docherty


Police are investigating allegations that a Scottish Labour candidate was subjected to sectarian abuse by text message.

Lothian and Borders police are studying text messages received by Thomas Docherty, who will contest Dunfermline and West Fife in the general election.
The messages, which contained a lyric from the so-called Famine song, were allegedly sent from a mobile telephone number belonging to Mark Cummings, a lobbyist. His clients have included Premier Property Group, a firm owned by David Murray, the Rangers chairman.

Two weeks ago, Docherty, a Catholic, received a message repeating a line from the Famine song which has been banned at Rangers’ Ibrox ground, and which was recently ruled by Scottish law lords to be racist. The song pillories people of Irish descent whose ancestors came to Britain to escape the potato famine which began in 1845.

The message to Docherty allegedly read: “The famine is over. Why don’t you go home? FTP.” FTP is commonly used as an abbreviation for the sectarian phrase F*** The Pope.

It is alleged that when Docherty texted the sender to check whether the message was intended for him, he received the reply: “Yes, because you are one of them.”

As a Labour candidate, Docherty is campaigning against a proposed major housing development in Dunfermline which Cummings’s firm, Edinburgh-based Invicta Public Affairs, is lobbying for.

In a statement, Cummings, director of Invicta, said: “I am aware of the matter as it has been brought to my attention. I am responding properly on a voluntary basis with the relevant authorities.

“This is a private matter that relates to me in a personal capacity only. It in no way relates to any commercial relationships that I have.”

A police spokesman said: “Police are investigating after a 34-year-old male received an offensive text message of sectarian nature.”

Docherty was unavailable for comment.

Mark Cummings pictured above with former client Manish Chande of Caltongate's Mountgrange.

Here is a bit of history on this man known throughout the country for his pr for developments on the whole unwanted by communities -

In Nairn he is well known see here

He worked with PPS who were the PR Company behind Developers Mountgrange (Caltongate) also Viridor Waste at Portobello.

The company`s motto is - "Call PPS if ...you need to undertake community consultation or if you feel your scheme may run into political or community opposition." hotlinehere

They featured in The Evening Standard in July 2007 in an article titled "Bugging, Bullying, Forgery: Property PR Tricks" EveningStandard30thjuly2007

See Dispatches Programme aired on Monday 30th July 2007 Scroll down page to find link to programme (PPS part starts at 16 minutes 50 seconds to 25 minutes 24 seconds) although all of programme worth watching!) On the 6th August 2007 another story concerning Mountgrange`s PR company PPS was published in EveningStandardaug07

In Private Eye issue no. 1192 31st August 2007 are Caltongate developers Mountgrange and their PR lobbying firm PPS to read article select your print preview and enlarge to 100% see here

"Mark Cummings the Scottish Director of PPS and Mountgrange`s spokesperson for the last two years or so left the company, 2 weeks after the Private Eye story was published in August. Now it appears he is still working for Mountgrange just under his new company name “Invicata”"

"Mark Cummings, the spin doctor who left controversial lobbying firm PPS this autumn, has landed a contract with PPS’s most high profile client in Scotland. Cummings worked on the Caltongate development account for PPS, but despite his departure was spotted at a meeting of the Caltongate Liaison Group last week. His new firm, Invicta Public Affairs, has now been taken on by Caltongate’s developer Manish Chande for what Cummings describes as “PR and public affairs, all the usual stuff”. Chande’s firm Mountgrange is expected to retain PPS’s services despite giving Invicta some work on the project." SOSarticle

The Great Calton & Gate Swindle

There is so much news today, go to google news and enter caltongate, you will see who Mountgrange`s administrators are and their plans to re-invent themselves, any ideas for their future company`s name welcome, and remember to send your caption for the pic of Manish Chande and his spin doctor Mark Cummings below....
BBC and Stv news tonight are covering story.

Caltongate the Movie

STARRING


"The Developers"

Martin "The Silent One" Myers

&

Manish "Its a 5 star hotel or nothing" Chande

Manish Chande, aged 51, graduated with a diploma in Accountancy from the City of London Polytechnic in 1975 and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. In 1997, he co-established the Trillium Group and was chief executive prior to its acquisition by Land Securities plc in 2000. Mr. Chande joined the board of Land Securities, before resigning in 2002 to establish Mountgrange Capital plc. Mr. Chande continues to serve as chief executive of Mountgrange. From 1985 to 1997, Mr. Chande worked as chief executive officer at Imry plc, prior to which time he spent four years working at Deloitte Haskins & Sells (Chartered Accountants) London (presently PriceWaterhouseCoopers). Mr. Chande also served as non-executive chairman of National Car Parks plc from 2003 to 2005 and as a non-executive director of MITIE plc from 2003 to 2006 and Property Fund Management plc from 2002 to 2004. In 2003, Mr. Chande was appointed as a Commissioner of English Heritage.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/LSECWS/IFSPages/MarketNewsPopup.aspx?id=1486080&source=RNS

"The Cooncil"

Jenny ""Its grotesque and hideous, lets approve it" Dawe present city leader

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

Architecture Design Scotland

now they are doon the tubes.........

The Mark of the Republic

We don't have Zorro in the Independent Republic of the Canongate but we have the next best thing we have a community and people who care - we don't need a masked man (though at times it would have been nice) to humiliate and deal with venture speculative developers, councillors and their officials who were duped by the lies and promises of big business.

Today The Republic heard that Mountgrange Capital has gone down the tubes. Read more here.

Pundits, sycophants and supporters of this Toy Town scheme mocked all of those who raised questions about the financial logic of this development based on ever increasing land prices and free and easy credit from the banking system, once those two things crashed the project was doomed. Caltongate was based on artists impressions of a architect's dystopian fantasy and those architects names must be etched on the tomb of Edinburgh's real disgrace - such as Richard Murphy, Allan Murray and Malcolm Fraser. Hopefully this Shakespearean tragedy will not be replayed over and over again.

The council used public money and council taxes to facilitate a big business plan for yet another Old Town development without looking at the needs and desires of the community.

The protesters and campaigners have been called liars and trouble makers for genuinely raising our concerns about lack of sustainable development and ignoring the community! More links here

Anyway to celebrate the defeat of Caltongate, the Independent Republic of the Canongate have launched a competition.

Do you have a caption for the following? - Manish Chande, Director of Mountgrange with his spin doctor side kick Mark Cummings on hearing today's news. Best caption will be given freedom of the Canongate.

What The Dickens??

"You`ve got to knock a building down or two"

Well, like we often say here, you just couldn`t make it up....Manish Chande (above left with Mark Cummings his spin doctor) yes the infamous, London based speculative property developer who emptied homes and businesses in the pursuit of his wealth, aided and abbetted by other greedy people commissioned the great, great, grand daughter of Charles Dickens to paint his skewed vision of Edinburgh and the area he wanted to destroy in the Old Town with the scheme that was known as "Caltongate"









see the paintings for sale or rent here , there is no sign of the one with Manish in front of his lost empire....remember this Caltongate King Heads for Victory, and yes Mr Chande, you blatently lied in this piece


a modern day Dickens Classic in the making



Lies, greed, deceipt, hypocrisy, double standards, treating those with less with contempt.. the list is endless..corruption, selling off the family silver.......to be continued..

Mountgrange owes £18,000 in Rent

Mountgrange`s Manish Chande and his spin doctor Mark Cummings legging it from Edinburgh, leaving behind them debts including £18,000 in council house rent arrears....

Remember how through an FOI we in the republic found out that Mountgrange were renting the council houses see here

Caltongate failure set to free up condemned flats for rent

Full Piece here 16 May 2009

"UNDER-THREAT council houses on the Canongate are set to be reused after the collapse of the Caltongate scheme.

Developer Mountgrange Capital was meant to be meeting the cost of the rent while the flats laid empty but council chiefs today admitted they failed to collect a single penny before Mountgrange went into administration in March.

The outstanding rent is thought to be around £18,000, with officials admitting they are not sure how they will recover that money.

Council chiefs said they intend to assess the flats to see what it would take to bring the properties up to a condition fit for rent.

The nine council flats were due to be bulldozed or partially demolished as part of the Caltongate project, which was sunk when Mountgrange's bankers pulled the plug.

A further nine private flats at 227-229 Canongate have been bought up by Mountgrange over the last two years and are now in the hands of the administrator Deloitte.

Campaigners today welcomed the chance of getting people back into the empty properties, particular in light of the city's affordable housing crisis.The Macrae Tenements on the Canongate, which are lying empty and have lost the city thousands in rent

Julie Logan, spokeswoman for the Save Our Old Town campaign group, said: "We are really pleased that the council has finally seen the sense of the recommendation that we made in our Canongate project report.

"There should not be a lot to do to these flats because a lot of them have had new doors and glazing, and also modernised inside in recent years.

"It will be good to get people into these homes, even on a temporary basis, and then start to have a proper look at what can be done with the area longer-term."

City leaders are trying to find firms to take on the gap site but it is thought it could be years before work gets underway.

A council spokeswoman said, "The council is considering options for bringing the nine flats back into temporary use until the future of the Caltongate development is known.

"A number of considerations need to be taken into account including the cost of bringing these properties up to rentable condition, and the timescale in which the new development is due to begin. If this proves to be feasible and cost effective, then bringing these properties back into use is a real possibility."

She added: "One of the terms Mountgrange had provisionally agreed to was they would cover the rent loss associated with the empty Council properties.

"However, as discussions are ongoing with the administrators, we are not in a position to say how this will money will be recovered.""

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)

remember this?

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."

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...

"Well he would say that, wouldn't he"

Mandy Rice Davies as she leaves the court, famously saying "well he would say that wouldn't he" in retort that Lord Astor denies what she is saying!


There are rumours going about that Mountgrange are to pull out of the Canongate which they refer to as Caltongate - a little birdie told us that they don't have the money or investment.

However, at the Republic we have concerns that in this economic environment that Mountgrange will demolish further parts of East Market Street and New Street, to land bank it and hoping for the economy to get on its feet. A bigger and wider empty brown site really is not needed or wanted particularly in the World Heritage Site - it would be a disaster and cannot be allowed.

Have Mountgrange got the finance for their project? Further demolitions should not be carried out without knowing if the finances are secure? Sofitel may have a written agreement with the council and Mountgrange however they will not want to be surrounded by empty new builds that cannot be used. Sofitel is the hotel and conference centre however they are not funding or part of the "luxury apartments" or "luxury retail and offices".

The finance world is in free fall just now. Bradford & Bingley looks like it will have to be nationalised, HBOS has been bought out, finance companies and banks throughout the world are collapsing. I don't want to point out the obvious but who is going to finance Caltongate?

Mountgrange have told us it is a £330 million project. Where is the £330 million coming from? Developers borrow money to build buildings then sell them on. Where will they get £330 million from? And who are they planning (apart from Sofitel) to sell the rest of the development on to?

The council has sold the land off market for a cool £5 million however they do not get any profit share until the whole thing is sold. Some economists are saying that property is over valued by 40% - the council may see very little return for its investment - if indeed it goes ahead. The council is predicting brutal times ahead and it looks like Caltongate is their great hope to indicate that the capital city hasn't come to a halt - see here

However Mark Cummings Invictor PR spokesperson has vigourously denied rumours that Caltongate are pulling out, see here . However we have heard such denials before and in the immortal words of Mandy Rice Davies in th Profumo affair in the 1960s see here "well he would say that, wouldn't he?"

UNESCO Slams City on Caltongate

Watch Jim Lowrie In Action Here

By Brian Ferguson The Scotsman Today Full Article Here

from the article -
"UNESCO yesterday criticised Edinburgh council's handling of the Caltongate development and said the demolition of two listed buildings could have been avoided, The Scotsman can reveal.

Its European heritage chief, Dr Mechtild Rössler, condemned the council for allowing the London developer Mountgrange to draw up the initial blueprint for the huge Old Town site, by Waverley Station."

"Jim Lowrie, Edinburgh city council's planning leader, admitted the local authority could be left in a "tricky position" if the council's handling of Mountgrange was strongly criticised and asked for a response."

"However, Mountgrange has launched an attack on Unesco, the world heritage body, branding it an "irrelevance" and saying it is not interested in its views on the £300 million development."

The firm said it has no intention of postponing the start of work until after next summer's World Heritage summit, in Seville, discusses Edinburgh.

A spokesman Mark Cummings of Never Beaten PR said a "dangerous precedent" would be set if a major developer had to wait until Unesco had delivered its judgment, and insisted that Mountgrange had no intention of changing its scheme, even if key criticisms were made by Unesco."

Also today Scotsman Burning Issue

Should Unesco be more in touch with modern urban planning reality? (odd question??)

Yes

RON HEWITT Chief executive, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce (remember Manish Chande, Caltongate Developer, is the chambers property portfolio Head!)

THE recent visit of the Unesco delegation was a welcome opportunity for the directors of the World Heritage Committee to assure themselves regarding the situation

on the ground. That Dr (Mechtild] Rössler, in summing up, saw no reason to report Edinburgh's World Heritage status being at risk is welcomed by the business community. The existing environment is a key reason why developers want to invest in our city. And if we want them to do so we must have attitudes that make investors welcome.We don't agree the city is in a polarised debate about the issue.

Whenever we meet with heritage groups we are able to have open conversations about a joint interest – preserving and developing one of the finest cities in Europe. Has this underlying commonality ruled the roost of the planning process? No! Should it? Yes! Do we need a better planning process to make applications run more smoothly? Yes! And it has arrived. It is called the Planning Act Scotland 2006 and it stipulates that community consultation should precede the hearing of applications in the council's planning committee.

It is interesting that Dr Rössler seemed unaware of these provisions. We explained the delays in bringing in regulations to implement the act are occasioned by a lengthy period of consultation – just what has been asked for all along. Dr Rössler told us Unesco has no interest in (or resources to deliver) vetting of planning applications in Edinburgh. Historic Scotland (legally) performs the function of overseeing our historic environment. We will continue to work with that organisation and other heritage bodies.

No

SALLY RICHARDSON spokeswoman, Save Our Old Town Campaign

WORLD Heritage status is awarded on consideration by the World Heritage Committee (a committee of member nations of Unesco) on the recommendation of the International Commission on Monuments and Sites. Nominations are put forward by national governments (in this case the UK government), often at the suggestion of a national institution (in this case, the City of Edinburgh Council). The World Heritage Centre is an admin body for the UN World Heritage Convention, to which the UK is a signatory.

Unesco was formed in a spirit of encouraging international understanding and peace, through co-operation in the realm of education, science and culture. World Heritage Sites are an important part of this, encouraging nations to understand the values that they share with others across the globe: what Edinburgh and, say, Peru's Machu Picchu have in common may not be obvious immediately, but then you begin to understand how another culture produced – or came to value – a site, and realise that how they value that place is not very different from us.

To say World Heritage Status is irrelevant to Edinburgh is to say that Edinburgh has no relevance to the rest of humanity and, if removed, that its outstanding universal value has been significantly reduced. At present, the site remains of huge international significance and interest – key to this is its juxtaposition of the organic medieval Old Town and the carefully planned and designed 18th and 19th century New Town. Those calling on World Heritage Status to be dropped, or just ignored, need to open their minds, and perhaps also their hearts, to everything that makes Edinburgh special."

Unesco meet Seville

The World Heritage Committee is currently meeting for its 33rd session in Seville, Spain from 22-30 June. During the session, the Committee will consider requests for the inscription of new sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List and examine the state of conservation of sites already inscribed on the List. The Committee is chaired by H. E. Mrs María Jesús San Segundo, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Spain to UNESCO.

The World Heritage Committee consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention.

Remember this headline from earlier this month....

Unesco insists Capital must scrap £300m Caltongate scheme

in The Scotsman from the piece -

"A £300 MILLION development in Edinburgh's historic Old Town has been thrown deeper into chaos after Unesco inspectors demanded council leaders have the whole scheme returned to the drawing board.

Councillors are set to face international condemnation at a world heritage summit in Seville next month after a damning report urged wholescale changes be made to the Caltongate scheme – even though it has received final approval from the Scottish Government."

" Leaked documents obtained by The Scotsman reveal that heritage inspectors are demanding a reprieve for two listed buildings threatened with demolition, the scrapping of a modern building which would have blocked views from Jeffrey Street, and a full review of how the development would impact on views from Calton Hill."

"The council is expected to face a major dilemma over the future of the site if Unesco's world heritage committee approves the report's recommendations, as expected. The local authority has had two other major developments called in for public inquiries within the past few months, as well as having to deal with a Unesco investigation triggered last summer."

Remember this after the Unesco delegation visit Unesco slam city on Caltongate

UNESCO yesterday criticised Edinburgh council's handling of the Caltongate development and said the demolition of two listed buildings could have been avoided, The Scotsman can reveal.

Its European heritage chief, Dr Mechtild Rössler, condemned the council for allowing the London developer Mountgrange to draw up the initial blueprint for the huge Old Town site, by Waverley Station."

"Jim Lowrie, Edinburgh city council's planning leader, admitted the local authority could be left in a "tricky position" if the council's handling of Mountgrange was strongly criticised and asked for a response."

"However, Mountgrange has launched an attack on Unesco, the world heritage body, branding it an "irrelevance" and saying it is not interested in its views on the £300 million development." (did he really say that?)

The firm said it has no intention of postponing the start of work until after next summer's World Heritage summit, in Seville, discusses Edinburgh.

A spokesman Mark Cummings of Never Beaten PR said a "dangerous precedent" would be set if a major developer had to wait until Unesco had delivered its judgment, and insisted that Mountgrange had no intention of changing its scheme, even if key criticisms were made by Unesco." Mountgrange in administration

They will be discussing Edinburgh either tomorrow or Thursday.

The Vandalism of Edinburgh

Mark Cummings PR supervandal for all developments that stink , collects his wages

Today we must catch up on all the news, on our holidays at the moment so daily postings not possible -- but one thing is clear we must all write to UNESCO asap - To inform the World Heritage Committee about the threats to Edinburgh write to - Committee's Secretariat at -

wh-info@unesco.org

It's time to turf vandals at the 'gate out of office

Letters Evening News 15th July 2008

"YESTERDAY I (and presumably the other 2000 objectors to the Caltongate affair) received a letter from dear old Edinburgh City Council informing me that the first phase of demolition work in the course of the Caltongate development had been approved, and will shortly commence.
My computer dictionary defines the word 'vandalism' as "deliberate, mischievous, or malicious destruction – or damage – of property" (particularly in regard to public property). Who are the greater vandals – the 16-year-olds spraying their tags on a building wall, or the councillors and council officers who have driven through the Caltongate abomination against significant local objection, and failed the people they were elected and appointed to serve? It is time to clean the hive, and I appeal to every one of my fellow voters to vote for anyone except your sitting councillor at the next council election ... and if you like the idea, tell someone else about it: let's dump the whole lot and start again. Voting in a clean council would only be the start, because the new council should be pressed to dismiss those council officers who significantly promoted the worst depredations of its predecessor."

Evening News 16th July 08 Tory Cooncillor Rose (who voted for Caltongate on the planning committee in Feb 08) rabbles on trying to justify the vandalism committed against the city ...really you should be ashamed of yourself and do good in your retirement from the police.

Architect Peter Wilson has something to say on Rebus Rose Rantings

Thorny Subject
Still in Edinburgh, Planning Committee member, Councillor Cameron Rose, has taken it upon himself to expose the architectural and urban design credentials that made him an obvious choice for the job. The retired police inspector feels a “legislative look” at Historic Scotland’s listing policy should be taken, a viewpoint formed from his bewilderment that a building such as the Royal Commonwealth Pool by RMJM could possibly merit it’s A-listed status.
Showing a commendable appreciation of 1960’s architecture, Councillor Rose feels that “it’s debatable whether it has historic significance”. His real beef, however, is with a listing process that allowed two C category buildings to impede the Council’s eagerness to appease the developer of the Caltongate site next to its new headquarters. As with so many of his colleagues, he is happy to repeat the public relations rhetoric that the proposed project is “creating a new living community” in the heart of the Old Town, encouraging the thought that perhaps it is the city’s Planning Committee itself that merits a legislative look at some of its recent decisions. Article on Architecture Scotland

Then in the Times Article July 17th 08 an unnamed vandal says -

"A spokesman for Mountgrange, the property company that is developing the £300 million site next to the Royal Mile in the Old Town, said that work was likely to begin before Christmas. He added that the scheme would reflect “the way we live today whilst respecting the past”. (Pass the sickbag, quick!)

The Great Calton & Gate Swindle

Caltongate The Movie

STARRING


"The Developers"

Manish "Its a 5 star hotel or nothing" Chande

&

Martin "The Silent One" Myers

"The Cooncil"

Jenny ""Its grotesque and hideous, lets approve it" Dawe present city leader

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

Architecture Design Scotland

to be continued.................