Multi-agency efforts to minimise city centre disruption and make the former Debenhams building safe continue, following a major fire on 9 July.
While Princes Street is expected to remain closed between Frederick Street and South Charlotte Street until August, contingency planning is underway to help limit the impact on transport, businesses, the festival and other events.
This includes the rerouting of the Edinburgh Festival Carnival so it can still take place on Sunday and traffic diversions to aid travel to and from the Scotland v Fiji rugby match on Saturday, while changes to bus routes have been put in place to improve general traffic flow in the area.
Council teams continue to offer one-to-one advice and support to businesses affected, and it is hoped that all businesses on Rose Street will be able to reopen tomorrow (Saturday). The Council Leader has also written to the First Minister to request additional support for businesses from the Scottish Government.
Trams are currently only able to operate between the Airport and Shandwick Place but all options are being explored to re-establish operations along the full route as soon as possible.
Officers are working closely with Voi Bikes to provide additional capacity, particularly in and around Leith, and will be expanding the fleet from 800 to 1000 bikes by the end of next week. Additional bike parking infrastructure is being arranged in the city centre to accommodate those travelling into the city from Leith and Newhaven.
Complex and time-consuming work is ongoing to make the fire-damaged building safe, alongside preserving as much of its heritage value as possible.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said:
There is no doubt that recent events on Princes Street continue to have a major impact on the city centre and beyond, but I’m pleased to see progress being made, both in terms of preserving and making the building safe and reducing disruption in the area.
This has involved a huge response from Council teams and a range of partners, and I’d like to thank all those involved for their hard work over the last week to secure the building, to protect its heritage and to keep the city moving. I’m particularly grateful to the city’s transport providers – Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams - for their swift and constructive responses to this challenging situation and I know there’s a huge amount of work going into restoring the tram to its full route as soon as possible. But I do want to stress that this can only happen when it’s safe to do so.
We’re in regular contact with festivals and event organisers with a view to limiting disruption to our events calendar, and I'm delighted that we’ve found an alternative route for the wonderful Edinburgh Festival Carnival so it can still go ahead this weekend. We’re also hopeful of being able to find alternative locations for some of the events and attractions displaced from George Street.
I’m acutely aware of the effect this is having on city centre businesses too and our teams are continuing to offer one-to-one advice and support. We’re also in touch with the Scottish Government about available support and I’ve written to the First Minister to discuss what more he can offer – as he did following the Union Street fire in Glasgow.
This road closure is essential to protect the public while experts assess the condition of the fire-damaged building and make it safe, but we’re letting everyone know that the city centre is very much still open for business and encouraging people to check our website for the latest travel advice and information on visiting the area.
I want to repeat my thanks to everyone for their patience and understanding and look forward to another fantastic summer festival season here in Edinburgh.
A dedicated page on the Council website has been set up to provide up-to-date information and guidance, with relevant links to partner sites and a Q&A. This will be updated regularly as and when new information becomes available.