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Edinburgh Reporter
26-06-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Ambitious £35m redevelopment plan for George Street supported by councillors
An ambitious £35m redevelopment plan for George Street has been supported by councillors, as concerns were raised that securing funding for it might not be possible. Edinburgh's transport convener said 'vast benefits', including improved safety, sustainability and accessibility, would result from the street's transformation. A decision on the project was made in May of this year. But at a meeting on Thursday, councillors reaffirmed that support, and agreed on a preference for the most expansive – and expensive – version. Coming in at an estimated £35 million, the project will see George Street transformed, with the street being completely closed to traffic for most of the day. Planters, natural stone setts and eight trees will be installed, as will benches, in hopes of making the street a better place to congregate. In addition, 'hostile vehicle mitigation' – in the case of George Street, retractable bollards – will be installed to help prevent vehicle attacks on the space. They will also be used to close off the roadway to most traffic, with a small subset of vehicles only being allowed in at certain times. Six of the 11 councillors in the Transport and Environment Committee voted to pursue the most ambitious plan. The two Conservative members of the committee voted against funding any redevelopment, and instead wanted to see £10m put towards road maintenance on George Street, funded by road parking charges. Earlier in the meeting, Conservative councillor for the City Centre ward Joanna Mowat addressed the committee, expressing concerns over the scheme's practicality. Currently, the plan is to fund the bulk of the project's price tag through grants from various public bodies, and possibly use some money from the city's upcoming visitor levy. She said: 'Here we are again, talking about George Street. We've been talking for nearly 11 years now. 'The elephant in the room is that we still don't have any money, and are reliant on applying to third parties and having this money granted to us before we can put a shovel in the ground. 'I think the position we've got to, looking at the wider financial situation across the council, Scotland, and the UK, is we've no money, and we need to look at what money we have, and what we can do.' The committee's SNP group wanted to see more detailed information about the costs of the project presented to councillors, but their amendment was not supported. Details of their amendment that asked for more frequent updates and for the committee to be provided with several options for traffic restrictions along the street were included in the final version of the motion. In addition, the Green group's amendment, which requires that a two-way cycle route be included along the street during construction, and a Liberal Democrat amendment which asked councillors to ensure the hostile vehicle mitigation portion of the project was retained, were both passed. If adequate external funding for the project cannot be found, councillors will be able to scale back to one of several less ambitious options for the project. With the decision on Thursday, city officers will now start seeking the necessary traffic regulation orders required to enable construction to start. If funding is found, work is set to begin in autumn 2027. Labour councillor and Transport and Environment Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'I'm really pleased that we've taken the decision today to move forward with the George Street and First New Town project. 'The project is rooted in making the area safer, more sustainable and accessible for all. 'This is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh's most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features. 'The wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination, and beyond – we're on our way to delivering a bold new vision for George Street and our city centre. 'Whilst we're committed to this important project, we're also committed to making broader improvements across the city for the benefit of all our residents.' By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
26-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Bid to halt Edinburgh George Street revamp defeated
A bid to scrap the £35 million plans to revamp Edinburgh's George Street has been rejected by councillors. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The city's transport and environment committee voted down a Tory proposal that because of the lack of any confirmed funding for the project, the council should opt for a maintenance-only approach instead. The George Street plans are to remove parking and reroute buses, turning it into a pedestrian and cycle zone with vehicles excluded for most of the day. Pavements are to be widened and trees planted at each end of the street, along with planters and benches. The full revamp of George Street would see the current parking down the centre of the street removed, buses rerouted, the pavement widened and vehicles excluded for most of the day. | supplied Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad City Centre Tory councillor Joanna Mowat said: 'The elephant in the room is we still don't have any money and are reliant on applying to third parties and having this money granted to us before we can put a single shovel in the ground.' She said a report to the committee made clear it would cost £10.5m to carry out maintenance to bring George Street up to standard. And she argued that could be paid for with the parking revenue from the street of £3.2m a year. 'We should just be realistic - that's what we've got, that's what we can afford, let's do the maintenance schedule from the parking income rather than having a £35m fantasy budget. 'I don't see, given the financial climate we're in and the pressures on government funding, that we're suddenly going to get this money.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But officers said a 'do minimum' scheme would not meet the criteria for external funding. And committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'It's perfectly normal not to have all the funds sitting in a bank account ready to be spent. As you move through developing a project, at various different stages you will draw down funding both internal and external.' Some of the money for the George Street revamp is likely to come from the city's planned Visitor Levy; there could also be contributions from developers; and the main source is expected to be various Scottish Government and Transport Scotland funding channels. The committee agreed to proceed with the full scheme to the next stage, advertising the road traffic orders, while keeping options open for future cost savings, for example by changing some of the materials. But it was agreed to rule out two 'do minimum' options - the maintenance-only proposal advocated by the Tories and another which would include the removal of parking. However, SNP transport spokesman Neil Gardiner said: 'This project needs a lot of scrutiny. Until we understand the money side of it we should not be taking any of the options off at this stage.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said it was possible the money could be better used elsewhere. "We will make our decision on whether to proceed or not on the basis of future reports." Lib Dem councillor Hal Osler said she was ' deeply concerned' about the level of funding. She said: 'Of course, as a council, we should have aspiration and we should bring forward something that isn't just a 'do minimum' approach. But we have to be realistic about the situation we're in and this is public funding. We do have to make a decision whether it is actually going to be worth spending £35m on something.' Green councillor Chas Booth said: 'We share a lot of people's concerns about the cost of this project but the question is: What do we do about that? 'The Conservative position is to say 'Scrap the whole scheme' - but we've heard from officers that might actually increase the financial exposure of the council. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We've heard there is the potential for external funding if we proceed with this scheme and I think that's the right thing to do. And we've heard from officers that, if that financing is not available they will come back to us for a further decision.' The George Street Association, which represents the street's businesses and other organisations, gave its backing to the full revamp. In a written submission, association chair Dr William Duncan said the other options simply deferred essential infrastructure work that will need to be done He said: 'George Street should look and operate very much better than it currently does. Planning its transformation has been under discussion for far too many years and it needs to move forward at pace to deliver the high-quality changes needed for the future success of this iconic 'go to place,' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We do not agree with those who might want to put this project on hold or not to proceed, because the physical condition of the public realm in George Street has deteriorated due to lack of investment for decades, meaning that status quo is not an acceptable or credible alternative. 'The need has gone beyond a facelift – the street needs major work done and the longer this is delayed the more extensive and expensive it will be.' Afterwards, Cllr Jenkinson said he was pleased the committee had agreed to move forward with the project. "This is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh's most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features. "The wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination, and beyond – we're on our way to delivering a bold new vision for George Street and our city centre.'
Edinburgh Live
26-06-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Ambitious George Street redevelopment backed despite concern over funding
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An ambitious £35m redevelopment plan for George Street has been supported by councillors, as concerns were raised that securing funding for it might not be possible. Edinburgh's transport convener said 'vast benefits', including improved safety, sustainability and accessibility, would result from the street's transformation. A decision on the project was made in May of this year. But at a meeting on Thursday, councillors reaffirmed that support, and agreed on a preference for the most expansive – and expensive – version. Coming in at an estimated £35 million, the project will see George Street transformed, with the street being completely closed to traffic for most of the day. Planters, natural stone setts and eight trees will be installed, as will benches, in hopes of making the street a better place to congregate. In addition, 'hostile vehicle mitigation' – in the case of George Street, retractable bollards – will be installed to help prevent vehicle attacks on the space. They will also be used to close off the roadway to most traffic, with a small subset of vehicles only being allowed in at certain times. Six of the 11 councillors in the Transport and Environment Committee voted to pursue the most ambitious plan. The two Conservative members of the committee voted against funding any redevelopment, and instead wanted to see £10m put towards road maintenance on George Street, funded by road parking charges. Earlier in the meeting, Conservative councillor for the City Centre ward Joanna Mowat addressed the committee, expressing concerns over the scheme's practicality. Currently, the plan is to fund the bulk of the project's price tag through grants from various public bodies, and possibly use some money from the city's upcoming visitor levy. She said: 'Here we are again, talking about George Street. We've been talking for nearly 11 years now. 'The elephant in the room is that we still don't have any money, and are reliant on applying to third parties and having this money granted to us before we can put a shovel in the ground. 'I think the position we've got to, looking at the wider financial situation across the council, Scotland, and the UK, is we've no money, and we need to look at what money we have, and what we can do.' The committee's SNP group wanted to see more detailed information about the costs of the project presented to councillors, but their amendment was not supported. Details of their amendment that asked for more frequent updates and for the committee to be provided with several options for traffic restrictions along the street were included in the final version of the motion. In addition, the Green group's amendment, which requires that a two-way cycle route be included along the street during construction, and a Liberal Democrat amendment which asked councillors to ensure the hostile vehicle mitigation portion of the project was retained, were both passed. If adequate external funding for the project cannot be found, councillors will be able to scale back to one of several less ambitious options for the project. With the decision on Thursday, city officers will now start seeking the necessary traffic regulation orders required to enable construction to start. If funding is found, work is set to begin in autumn 2027. Labour councillor and Transport and Environment Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'I'm really pleased that we've taken the decision today to move forward with the George Street and First New Town project. 'The project is rooted in making the area safer, more sustainable and accessible for all. 'This is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh's most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features. 'The wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination, and beyond – we're on our way to delivering a bold new vision for George Street and our city centre. 'Whilst we're committed to this important project, we're also committed to making broader improvements across the city for the benefit of all our residents.'
Scotsman
26-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
George Street: 'Elephant in the room' fears over lack of £35m funding as Edinburgh council votes
Full scheme to be progressed despite worries over where money will come from Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The design of a £35 million upgrade of one of Edinburgh's key streets has been approved by city councillors despite misgivings from opposition parties about the cost and lack of funding. A council committee agreed on Thursday to continue work on the scheme to remove parking and most traffic from George Street in the centre of the New Town, with construction scheduled to start in two years' time and finish in 2030. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A visualisation of the full George Street upgrade option | City of Edinburgh Council However, a Conservative councillor said the lack of secured funding for the project was the 'elephant in the room' and called for the existing street layout be properly maintained instead, using parking charge income. The council plans to pay for the scheme using external funding, such as from the city's visitor levy which starts next year, and developers' contributions. Officials said it was unusual for funding for such projects to be in place before they received final approval. The "reduced design" option, costing £20.3 million | City of Edinburgh Council City centre Conservative councillor Joanna Mowat said: 'We have been talking about George Street for nearly 11 years. The elephant in the room is that we still don't have any money and are reliant on applying to third parties and having this money granted to us before we can put a single shovel in the ground. 'Be realistic' 'All we have is a lot of very expensively-sourced designs, which are very pretty on the page, but without that money are no closer to being completed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Everyone is heartily fed up, because those people who live and work on George Street and are running businesses would just like to see something get done.' The "basic design" option, costing £17.4 million | City of Edinburgh Council Ms Mowat proposed instead that the £3.2m annual parking revenue from the street be used to pay for the £10.5m 'maintenance' option in the plans to bring it up to an acceptable standard. She told the transport and environment committee: 'We should be realistic. That's what we can afford.' Liberal Democrat councillor Hal Osler said: 'We are deeply concerned about the level of funding', and questioned whether it was worth spending £35m on the scheme. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad SNP councillor Neil Gardiner said all the upgrade options should be retained until funding was clearer. The "above ground design" option, costing £13.5 million | City of Edinburgh Council But Jamie Robertson, the council's strategic transport planning and delivery manager, said: 'It's quite rare to have funding in advance of obtaining statutory consent, and we are in the development pipeline with George Street. Price tag reduced 'I totally hear the noise around 'you do not have funding for this project', but we are not unique in this. If you ask me the same question in six months' time, I'm pretty sure I'll have much more clarity.' Mr Robertson said progressing the full scheme increased the likelihood of securing external funding. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Stephen Jenkinson, tje committee's Labour convener, said: The project is rooted in making the area safer, more sustainable and accessible for all. 'This is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh's most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features. 'The wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination. We're on our way to delivering a bold new vision for George Street and our city centre.' Mr Jenkinson said last week he expected the cost of the plans to fall further after 'more detailed and accurate costings' had seen the price tag reduced from £39.5m last September.
Edinburgh Reporter
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
Pro-Palestine protest given go-ahead by councillors despite safety concerns
A pro-Palestine protest in Edinburgh has been given the go-ahead by councillors after concerns were raised over safety. The city's public safety department had objected to the Support Palestine rally at a licensing meeting on Monday, with a decision on next steps pushed back to Tuesday. An outright ban was all but ruled out on Monday, when a Police Scotland officer said the demonstration was not likely to place an 'excessive burden' on the agency. Conservative councillor and Licensing Sub-Committee convener Joanna Mowat said: 'We consider parades and marches from the point of view of public safety, we have very limited powers to even change routes, and to ban them. 'We exercised due scrutiny, given the concerns raised by public safety and the police, but we were grateful that the applicants arranged to attend so that we could speak with them. 'The threshold for making alterations to the route were not met. So we have made an order that the march will go ahead. 'We were pleased that the march organisers have committed to work with officers and the police through the EPOG process to ensure that this is a safe and well stewarded event.' EPOG refers to an Event Planning Operations Group meeting, where council officers and event organisers meet to coordinate events. Cllr Mowat continued to say that the event organisers had run over 80 marches in the capital, with only two that caused concerns. And she said that this was due to factors not entirely within their control. She added: 'They showed that they've made a commitment to work positively with the police and council officers and so committee, we were happy to make the order.' At Tuesday's licensing meeting, the organisers of the rally verbally committed to having a management plan in place for any bicycles that join the procession. Attendees on bicycles joining a previous event without the knowledge of the event organisers was an issue at a previous demonstration, according to Cllr Mowat. At the meeting on Monday, a council public safety officer objected to the planned demonstration, saying that two previous demonstrations run by the organisers had led to safety concerns. According to the officer, this was due to severe congestion at a city junction during one march, and another event where protesters entered the tram route. And a police representative said emergency powers had to be used to clear the junction the public safety officer mentioned. Local authorities very rarely ban marches outright. Instead, councils can add conditions that they must follow. The grounds for banning a procession are narrow. For a council to decide to do so, a march must meet one of a handful of requirements. One reason for a ban is placing 'excessive burden' on policing resources, while another is if the 'likely effect' of holding the procession has an impact on public safety, public order, the 'life of the community' or is likely to cause property damage. The third is if the organiser of a demonstration had previously organised an event that caused disruption or which breached conditions or a banning order placed on it. By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
