Edinburgh businesses say trade is ‘dead’ due to 11-week Waterloo Place closure
One business owner is calling for compensation due to falling trade which has seen takings drop by 20 per cent
Business owners on a partially closed Edinburgh street have hit out over a lack of support after 11-week repair works “killed” passing trade.
Deli-style cafe Pep & Fodder has seen trade fall by 20 per cent in what is normally its busiest month after Waterloo Place was shut to westbound traffic on September 7.
Both Pep & Fodder and nearby Town & City Newsagents usually rely on a steady stream of tourists from sightseeing buses. However, the stops have been relocated to George Street while Scottish Water carries out £3 million repairs to the water network beneath the road.
Kevin Singh, who runs Town & City Newsagents, says footfall has slowed down to a trickle since the works commenced earlier this month.
He said: “Our passing trade is pretty effectively dead. You can see for yourself how quiet it is.
“Wherever there’s construction going on, people tend to avoid it like the plague.”
“Normally the tour buses would have lots of people doing the city tours coming in. We’d have staff coming in 20-25 times a day: the drivers, the tour guides, the office, staff, taxi drivers,” Pep & Fodder’s owner Alisdair Fraser said.
He said the cafe’s trade was already down in August when buses lined up in front of it during Princes Street’s closure, making it a “double whammy” for the small business.
The buses also took up the nearby loading bays, something the businesses complained to the council about.
Mr Fraser said: “Instead of people having a coffee and staring at the architecture, they were staring at the buses.
“This is just how the council are. They care about some things but they don’t care about smaller businesses.
“There’s no help, generally they don’t care about small traders.”
Mr Singh said it was “pretty poor” that Scottish Water had not offered businesses along the street compensation for the impact the closure has had on their trade.
Scottish Water, which has provided designated loading bays, is not obliged to consider claims for economic losses when carrying out essential repair works.
A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “As part of our preparations for the project, we undertook extensive engagement with local businesses and stakeholders to explain the project and the traffic management arrangements.
"We recognise that works of this nature can be disruptive and would like to thank the local community, businesses and road users for their patience and understanding while we complete these essential works.”
The street remains open to pedestrians and traffic heading towards Abbeyhill for the duration of the £3 million upgrade works, causing congestion along nearby Leith Street according to Mr Fraser.