Call to help keep shoppers in city centre

ESSENTIAL Edinburgh, the body which handles the Capital’s business improvement district, has said business leaders will have to find new ways to ensure residents keep shopping in the city centre in coming months while tram works are carried out.

Andy Neal, chief executive of Essential Edinburgh, said a range of measures including savvy marketing and easy transport arrangements will be needed to ensure business continue to attract shoppers.

Work on the tram rails began this weekend but despite significant disruption to the city centre and heavy rain, a number of businesses reported little change in footfall.

Mr Neal said: “We look forward to continuing to provide a point of constructive contact between the business community and the trams project management, and we will continue to press for more support.

“We need to look at creative initiatives to get people coming in to the city centre.”