Pay until 10pm? What are the city's plans for late parking charges?
Pay until 10pm? What are the city's plans for late parking charges?
Plus: Professor David Begg on the 'toxic' transport debate; and concern over 'too big' schools
City centre warning as Capital examines evening parking charges
Restaurateurs are warning about the potential damage to the vitality of the city centre as the Capital looks to extend parking charges into the evening.
On-street parking charges currently finish at 6.30pm in the city centre and do not start until 12.30pm on Sundays. The city council is working on plans to extend the charging period into the evening in order to make the streets more pedestrian-friendly and encourage more use of active and public transport.
Businesses, however, fear the move would deter many visitors to the city centre who currently take advantage of the free parking to visit restaurants, theatres and other venues. They say it would hit the city’s hospitality trade particularly hard, as it recovers from Covid without the business rates relief enjoyed by their counterparts south of the Border.
What’s happening in Glasgow? A similar proposal to see parking charges extended to 10pm in Glasgow has sparked warnings that it would lead to widespread restaurant closures and the consequent loss of jobs. One in four restaurants fear the loss of trade would force them to close, according to a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses.
What about restaurant and bar staff? There is concern about the impact on staff who rely on their cars to get safely to and from late shifts, with the extra charges in Glasgow costing them £7 a night. The council in Edinburgh has indicated it would look at a permit system for these staff.
The council says: Detailed proposals have still to be drawn up, however, in a report to the council’s transport and environment committee last month, officials said that after 6.30pm: “uncontrolled parking creates worse conditions for pedestrians, hinders public transport competitiveness, encourages car use over other forms of transport, and removes the protection afforded by residents parking bays. Consequently, it is proposed to extend the hours of operation of controlled parking in parking zones 1-8 into the evening, seven days a week and to review morning start times.”
Businesses say: Roddy Smith, chief executive of the Essential Edinburgh city centre Business Improvement District, warned the hospitality trade was facing a “perfect storm” which already includes the lack of rates relief, high VAT bills and challenges finding staff. “Any proposals to extend the time that parking charges are payable in the city will rightly be of serious concern to the business community. With charges on George Street now an eye watering £8.20 an hour, any extension into the evening and on Sundays will greatly affect trade,” he said.
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
CITY SCHOOLS ‘TOO BIG’: Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth is considering issuing new guidance on the size and design of schools across Scotland due to concerns that some are “too big”. The former teacher said pupils can feel “lost” and relationships between teachers and students can be harmed due to the large rolls in some of the country’s large secondaries. The Capital is home to some of Scotand’s biggest high schools including Gracemount (approx 1300 pupils), Castlebrae (approx 1200), Portobello (approx 1050) and Leith Academy (approx 1000).
FILMHOUSE TO REOPEN: The Edinburgh Filmhouse is set to reopen later this year after securing a £1.5m grant to pay for a “transformational” overhaul of its former home on Lothian Road. The UK Government grant comes as the ongoing Open the Doors crowdfunding campaign gets closer to its £300,000 target. The aspirational opening date for the art house cinema is 6 October, two years after it was forced to close following the financial collapse of its parent company.
‘TOXIC’ TRANSPORT DEBATE: Professor David Begg, the former Government transport adviser and ex-Edinburgh transport convener, has called for a more reasoned debate on the future of transport in the UK. In an article for Transport Times, he decries the lack of strategic transport planning at a UK level and how debate on the issue has been “weaponised… in the same way as identify politics and Islamaphobia”. The former Labour councillor introduced the Greenway bus priority lanes in Edinburgh in the 1990s.
‘Demonised’: Prof Begg argues: “Anyone who promotes what we had thought had become mainstream common sense transport policies risks being demonised as being part of the car hating and sinister mob. Would someone please explain to me why the concept of 15 minute cities has been described by none other than the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper in this way? Being able to access work, leisure and shops easily without having to drive by car was always seen as a desired holy grail by transport planners. Now it's 'big brother' local authorities telling us where and when we go Soviet style.”
CLIMBING ARENA: The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at Ratho is upgrading its facilities for indoor bouldering - which is now the most widely practised form of climbing - after receiving £100,000 from SportScotland. The upgrade will benefit climbers of all abilities, making Ratho the only climbing centre in the UK with Olympic standard facilities for all three climbing disciplines (lead climbing, speed climbing and bouldering).
TROUBLE LOOMING? An exhibition – A Passion for Paisley – draws focus on the world-renowned Paisley shawl and its development and history. Trouble is, it started in Edinburgh, not the Renfrewshire town after which the garment was named. Hosted by Heriot-Watt University and The Great Tapestry of Scotland the exhibition reveals that Edinburgh weavers were the first in Britain to create replicas of the Kashmir shawls brought back from India, the first recorded being in 1767 – fully 40 years before Paisley’s weaving industry. It runs from tomorrow to 12 July at The Great Tapestry of Scotland, 14-20 High St, Galashiels. There is an entrance fee of £5.
ON THE FRINGE: Actor Brian Cox has joined an increasingly star-studded cast of Patrons of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He joins fellow Fringe alumni Eddie Izzard and the honorary President of the Fringe Society, writer and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge, as Ambassadors.
HOSPITAL WINDOW FALLS: NHS Lothian has been fined £220,000 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court after two vulnerable patients died after falling from windows at the Western General. A 55-year-old patient on the neurosurgery ward who had tried to take his own life died in 2017 after falling from a second floor window that wasn’t restricted to a 100mm opening gap. A 79-year-old being cared for on the Medical Assessment Unit died in 2021 after falling from a first floor window. He had not been transferred to a secure ward due to strict Covid controls. The health board pleaded guilty to breaking health and safety laws by failing to adequately manage the risks and have apologised to the families.
AUTHOR’S ALARM: Crime writer Val McDermid has added her voice to concerns about the impact of Scotland’s new hate crime bill which comes into effect on 1 April. The Edinburgh-based author told The Courier she feared that authors and performers would be targeted by vexatious complaints which the police would be obliged to investigate.
CRUMBLING CINEMA: Council officials are to investigate concerns about the deteriorating condition of the derelict former George Cinema in Portobello amid fears the art deco building is being allowed to fall into a condition from which it can’t be saved. Owners Buckley Building have been refused permission to demolish it to make way for housing and the Friends of the George community group are keen to buy and restore the building.
THE BUSINESS
Work underway on innovation hub for businesses
Work is underway on the building of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub – a joint venture between East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University - aimed at helping drive business growth across some key sectors.
The 7,200 sqm Hub, which received planning permission last September, is expected to be completed in 2025. It will comprise flexible laboratory, office and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent by high growth small to medium enterprises.
The venture is supported by £28.6 million from the UK Government, £1.4 million from the Scottish Government and £10 million from East Lothian Council as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.
Councillor Norman Hampshire, leader of East Lothian Council, said: “By supporting the food and drink and other important economic sectors, including tech and life sciences, we can attract innovative businesses to one of Scotland’s fastest growing areas.
“The 52-acre Edinburgh Innovation Park adjacent to the Edinburgh Innovation Hub will transform a strategic economic development site, owned by East Lothian Council, into a nationally significant cluster of knowledge exchange, innovation and high value business growth.”
Sir Paul Grice, principal and vice-chancellor of QMU said: “Along with driving economic development locally and nationally, the Hub will act as a gateway into QMU for businesses, increase opportunities at the University for industry-relevant research and knowledge exchange, promote an entrepreneurial culture, and increase the vibrancy of the area around the campus.”
AWARDS LAUNCHED: WeDO Scotland – the network for entrepreneurs - has launched its’ annual business awards. Applications are now being invited for the Awards, which are taking place on Friday 21st June in Edinburgh and applications close on Wednesday 8th May. More information is available at the website here https://www.wedoscotland.com/2024awards
CAPITAL RISING: Edinburgh has improved its position in the global league table of financial centres – moving up to 32 in the Global Financial Centres Index. It is also the 12th highest placed city in Europe. A recent report by TheCityUK also highlighted that employment in Scotland’s financial and related professional services industry increased by around 13,000 to 149,000 between 2021 and 2022. The sector is already the largest contributor to the Scottish economy, worth around £14.3bn in gross value added, and the second largest exporter, exporting £9.2bn worth of services in 2021.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
TINDERBOX GOES LOUD: The brilliant Tinderbox Orchestra and Loud Poets are joining forces for what promises to be a memorable night of music and performance poetry at the Central Hall on Saturday at 7.30pm. Outwith Words is the culmination of a 10-week collaboration between an expanded 45 piece Tinderbox Orchestra, Loud Poets and featured artists Hannah McCooke, RJ Hunter, and ACE V!S!ON. Bringing together rappers and singers with soaring strings, heavy brass, woodwind and a thundering back-line, the young Tinderbox musicians have transformed preconceptions of what an orchestra can be.
A BIT OF SCIENCE: The original and best - and still the world’s largest celebration of science - The Edinburgh Science Festival gets underway on Saturday with two weeks of events for curious minds at venues across the city. Always wanted to know more about AI? Want to explore the Botanic Gardens’ collection of Indian botanical art? Now’s your chance.
MARY CHAIN: Not content with their first album of new material in 25 years (Glasgow Eyes) and an upcoming autobiography, indie heroes the Reid brothers are hitting the road to celebrate the 40th annivesary of The Jesus and Mary Chain. Catch them at the Usher Hall on Wednesday night.
QUICK BITES
WINNERS ALL: Tapa, at Shore Place in Leith has been crowned as Spanish Restaurant of the Year at the Scottish Restaurant Awards 2024. Other Capital national winners included Valvona & Crolla in Elm Row (Italian), Vietnam House in Grove Street (Noodles restaurant) and Koyama on Forrest Road (Japanese).
BEST TASTE: Two Edinburgh restaurants have been named amongst the best new dining venues in the UK by the travel and lifestyle bible, Conde Nast Traveller. Looking for the best 2023 new openings, two of the three in Scotland to make the cut were in the capital – Eorna in Hamilton Place and Lyla in Royal Terrace.
PORTY OPENING: Pronto Pizza, which operates a venue on Castlehill, is expanding to Portobello with an opening planned for Brighton Place later this week. The new venue will offer Neapolitan-style pizza.