Local businesses in Roseburn are hoping for an announcement of economic support from Thursday’s Edinburgh City Council finance and resource committee.
They say that the council's City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) has cost several business owners as much as 70 percent of their footfall since the roadworks were introduced. Not only this but that shops along Roseburn Terrace have also had to deal with disruption for what will be a 14-month period.
The owner of Art Et Facts, George Randall, has been operating on the street for over 33 years and says that the works for the CCWEL have caused the worst economic pain that he has witnessed during his decades-long career.
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He argues that the least that the council could do would be to offer a £4,000 package to businesses who can prove that they have been drastically impacted by the new active cycle lanes. Work on the CCWEL started earlier this year around spring, before a brief hiatus over peak tourist season, only to return over the key Christmas shopping period.
George has said that his own shop relies upon four-wheel trade and the loss of parking spaces and access to local side roads has meant that customers are unable to use his business. This has led to his own shop suffering debt problems and being 70 percent down on previous years trading.
He said: “We’ve been pleading with them for a long time for some assistance, at the last council meeting they said they would look into doing something. But last week we saw that officers didn’t want to do anything for us as they say it would set a precedent.
“What should set a precedent is for the council to never do anything like this again. How can they leave businesses to die like this. We had gas work a few years ago and the company behind that was so helpful but this time it feels like there is no support.
“It would come to less than £70,000 for compensation for businesses along the Terrace - this is considering the project is costing the council around £10m. We should not be going bust for what they are doing outside.
“I’ve been here 33 years and never known businesses to be treated like this. During the council elections they were all saying they would support us in our campaign, well now is the time for them to put their money where their mouth is.
“We have gone into overdraft then maximum overdraft due to the works and I’ve had to borrow from my wife just to keep the lights on. We briefly reopened in July and August which allowed for car trade to return and for us to pay off the overdraft.
“But when the work started back up in September we were right back to square one. One business has already been forced to close, and I know of others who have limited their opening hours, whilst some are having to lay off staff.
“The council have said that they would implement parking bays for customers but half the time they are taken up by vans working on the CCWEL. We are not asking for the moon, but instead for support that other areas have received for the disruption caused by long running roadworks.
“Something has to be done or businesses will go under.”
Peter Gregson, who is a spokesperson for a local group called ‘Roseburn Vision’ has said that the CCWEL impact is unique in the way it is threatening to destroy local businesses that rely on car trade.
Peter, who is also a local community council member, says that he feels as though the project was not necessary in the first place and that the vast amounts of money spent on consulting fees for the project could have been better spent on supporting those that face disaster due to the project.
He says that the council should at least offer £4,000 to businesses that are facing hardship and also argues that it would not necessarily set a precedent as other areas of the city do not uniquely rely upon customers accessing shops by car.
He said: “The economy of Roseburn flourishes during the day time hours and outside of rush hour traffic. It is also uniquely designed in such a way that it is reliant upon customers driving to the area to support businesses.
“Not only this, but businesses rely upon the side streets and parking spaces in order to receive deliveries. This former access has been taken away by the CCWEL, a project that seems to bring little benefit to the area.
“A bit of money, say around £3-4,000, does not pay for the pain but it is something that will help owners stay afloat. From day one they have ignored the shops.
“I’ve heard arguments from those at the council that the project could be like Sixth Avenue in New York but they need to realise that Roseburn Terrace is not a big wide street like Sixth Avenue. Their American plans do not work.
“Over 40 businesses signed a petition in 2018/19 to say how this would impact them but it seemed to just fall on deaf ears. The local authority argues that this will set a precedent for businesses being impacted by the implementation of active travel infrastructure to seek compensation but we feel that Roseburn is a unique case.
“People do not travel to say North Bridge by car to go shopping but they do when it comes to Roseburn. The tram project in Leith also baked in millions of pounds of support for businesses in their area, so why can the same not be done here?
“Also, what is the point in active travel if you have removed a massive reason for cycling to an area? If all the shops have been closed down then why would people bother to leave their homes and not just make an order off of Amazon.
“The council will argue that there is not the money there, or that it will have to come from existing projects, but the reality is the money exists. They have hundreds of thousands of pounds to spend on useless consultancy firms and inflated salaries so why not move the money around to support businesses?”
The council has argued that it would be problematic for them to be able to directly offer financial support to businesses. This is because funding is often ring fenced for projects and that there is no legal requirement for them to offer economic support.
It is argued that if they were to offer direct cash assistance, then it would have to come from the projects budget, or other active travel project budgets that the council plans on implementing. The council also has a duty to implement and improve travel infrastructure within the capital and offering compensation whenever a project is undertaken could mean that it is not economically viable to pursue new projects.
Councillor Scott Arthur, the transport and environment convener, said: “Having spoken to businesses, residents and Murrayfield Community Council, I understand the concerns expressed.
“Throughout the development and delivery of the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) project, the council has made every effort to take the views of businesses, along with those of residents, into account, making every effort to address any issues. We’ve implemented several measures to mitigate the impacts of work, including introducing short stay parking spaces throughout Roseburn and a multi-media ‘Open for Business’ campaign promoting all that’s on offer in the area.
“The report being considered by the finance and resources committee sets out the multiple, complex factors affecting any potential business support scheme, and I look forward to a robust discussion on the matter. I accept, however, that the council’s financial position makes providing direct financial support difficult.
“Ultimately, once complete, this project will transform the area, providing a much improved environment for spending time, as well as better walking and cycling connections to and from the city. I hope and expect that the economic benefit of this will turbo-charge the local economy.”
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