Council 'disappointed' over lack of Union Corner-style support after Princes Street fire

Councillor Stephen Jenkinson accused the Scottish Government of failing to offer “meaningful” financial support to help the city get back on its feet since the fire on July 9.

He said the response stood in “stark contrast” to the £10 million emergency support fund offered to Glasgow City Council following the fire which destroyed the Union Corner building in Glasgow city centre in March.

Edinburgh has experienced significant disruption to its transport system while Princes Street has been closed, with heavy bus congestion and tram services still unable to run between the city centre to Leith and Newhaven.

Meanwhile, dozens of businesses in Leith have spoken out about the decline in footfall in the area since the suspension of the trams and their concerns ahead of the festival season.

On Tuesday, the award-winning chef Dean Banks criticised the council and the government for the lack of support provided to businesses after his Leith restaurant, Dulse, saw trade plummet by 60 per cent in the first full week of business following the fire.

In response, councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “We’re doing everything within our power to make sure Princes Street can reopen as soon as possible, but this can only be when it’s safe to do so. In the meantime, we’re focussed on minimising disruption across the network, alongside Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams.

“For Leith specifically, bus services continue, and we’ve increased the number of Voi e-bike parking locations and hires available. I’d encourage everyone to visit the area and support the fantastic local businesses there.

“I fully recognise how challenging and frustrating this period has been for our residents, businesses and visitors and they have my thanks for their continued patience.

“However, I’m disappointed at the fact that almost three weeks on from the fire, and over ten days after the council leader wrote to the First Minister, we’re yet to see any meaningful action or offers of support from the Scottish Government.

“This is in stark contrast to the aftermath of the Union Corner fire in Glasgow, where a £10m fund was announced in under a week. I’d reiterate the Council Leader’s call to the First Minister to get around the table and support the capital city during this incredibly difficult period.”

Earlier this month, Edinburgh MSP Ben Macpherson wrote to the Scottish Government to ask whether extra support, similar to that offered to Glasgow after the devastating Union Street fire, will be extended to the Capital.

He requested the Scottish Government offer “additional assistance” to those dealing directly with the aftermath of the blaze, including Edinburgh council, Edinburgh Trams, Lothian Buses, local businesses and other affected parties.

In March, less than a week after the fire which ripped through Glasgow’s historic Union Corner, First Minister John Swinney announced a financial package worth £10 million to help the council and businesses in the area rebuild while recovery work took place.

The fund was administered by Glasgow City Council, which also benefited from an extra £1 million to help with demolition costs.

However, no such support has been offered to businesses affected by fall-out from the Princes Street fire.

Chef Dean Banks told the Edinburgh Evening News on Tuesday the ongoing disruption in the city was “absolutely a Scottish Government issue”.

“This is our capital city in the run up to the Fringe, where Edinburgh goes on the world stage and people arrive from every corner of the world,” he said.

He is calling on both Edinburgh council and the Scottish Government to urgently provide support for businesses, including rates relief for those in the hardest-hit areas and a clear timeline for the restoration of the tram system.

“We need to fix this now,” he said. “It’s a capital city and people’s jobs and livelihoods are at stake.”

But Roddy Smith, the Chief Executive and Director of Essential Edinburgh, which represents businesses on Princes Street, Rose Street and George Street, said the picture is more of a mixed bag.

He said the vast majority of businesses in the city centre which were forced to close due to the fire reopened within a week, with Boots the only major store remaining shut three weeks after the blaze.

He said as a result the situation was “not comparable” to the aftermath of the fire in the Union Corner building, in which dozens of businesses were destroyed and closed for weeks or months.

“There is no doubt there has been significant disruption and the normal way that people move around the city centre has changed,” he said. “But the footfall is still there, it’s just shifted so that people are now walking down Rose Street and George Street. So some businesses have been affected positively by that and others negatively.”

He continued: “There hasn’t been the catastrophic closure of businesses that we saw in Glasgow, so I don’t think businesses in the city centre will be calling for a whole raft of packages.”

He said Edinburgh council had engaged with those which were forced to close in the days following the fire about possible business rate rebates, which he said was a “really positive” step.

However, he said the full impact would not be clear until retail sales data is published next month. “There are undoubtedly businesses who will have been hit and are due support, but the size and scale of that we’re just not sure yet.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.