I’m dreaming of a non pop-up Edinburgh Christmas – Kevin Buckle

The council needs a plan to support local businesses during Christmas and New Year, writes Kevin Buckle
Edinburgh's Christmas could be more lo-key than usualEdinburgh's Christmas could be more lo-key than usual
Edinburgh's Christmas could be more lo-key than usual

As Scotland faces new and quite restrictive lockdown rules it really has to be hoped that Edinburgh Council abandons any thoughts of adding attractions and stalls for Christmas and instead puts all its efforts into promoting the many attractions and shops Edinburgh has to offer all year round.

It is not as if it is hard to find reasons to visit Edinburgh and while its shops have never been properly presented to those looking to visit, now is obviously the time to put that right.

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I’m not sure when any final decision will be made about Christmas and indeed New Year celebrations, but as we will all remember from last year, these things need planning permission, so it must be soon. It has to be hoped that Christmas is not cancelled, as some newspapers declared but instead is just more low-key than usual.

It can not be underestimated the devastation that would be caused on the high street if shoppers choose or indeed are forced to buy all their presents online.

What’s more, there is no way that the UK’s delivery infrastructure could cope shown by how it was stretched to the limit earlier in the year when lockdown first started.

One thing is certain and that is that no city can promise potential visitors anything more than what it has to offer all year round and surely with Edinburgh that should be enough. Provisional enquiries with those I hope would know say the council really doesn’t have a plan to support businesses through the various outcomes that may occur and if true that has to be incredibly worrying.

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So much of the council’s efforts appear to be based on pushing through ideas they were supporting even before the pandemic and never has it been more important for them to show those who say that the council has little understanding of businesses and the pressures they face that there are those within the administration who do.

So much has been done on Princes Street providing wider spaces for people to walk in and yet at the same time there are now even more pop-up shops with racks and displays blocking the pavement and with nothing being done. It is this lack of consistency that so often frustrates businesses.

What is so disappointing is that the council has such little faith in the city that they represent that they feel they need extra bells and whistles at Christmas and what makes it worse is that even with the well documented struggles of businesses large and small again the council feels it appropriate to bring in other pop-ups.

Ending on a far more positive proactive note Helping Hands, a volunteer community based organisation whose work challenges social and economic inequality in Edinburgh, are looking for bikes that are no longer needed that they can recycle and redistribute.

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The drop-off point is the Ocean Terminal ground floor on Saturday 19 September between 10am and 2pm.

Cycling and recycling! Now that is something Edinburgh Council should have no trouble getting behind.

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