Tories call for rethink of strategy for Edinburgh's future

‘Not enough consideration of business needs’

Iain Whyte says road closures do not consider the needs of businesses

TORIES will today call for a rethink of the council’s strategy for a better Edinburgh after Covid.

The city’s SNP/Labour administration wants to incorporate findings of the Edinburgh 2050 City Vision into a plan to help the Capital recover.

But Tory group leader Iain Whyte pointed out the outcome of the 2050 public consultation has never been published.

And he claimed: “They keep telling us we can’t go back to ‘normal’ following coronavirus but every policy choice they make is to do exactly what they were doing before. To move forward they suggest using the themes from their budget without recognising that this has been blown out of the water by the crisis.

“We need a different plan that aims to get Edinburgh’s economy moving again within any restrictions that continue to apply.”

He said road closures, for example, failed to consider the needs of businesses for deliveries, click and collect and tradespeople to get about town.

The policy committee discusses the issue today.