Tourist Tax priorities create an all-too predictable city bunfight - Sue Webber
In my time as a councillor and MSP I’ve come across plenty of irresponsible decisions, ranging from the SNP’s blatant attempt to sweep away decades of progress for women’s equality on the altar of trans rights, to Edinburgh Council’s introduction of “floating” bus stops which put partially-sighted passengers at risk from reckless cyclists.
If a decision at today’s special meeting of Edinburgh Council goes the way I expect, then to the list will be added a move to use revenue from the impending Tourist Tax to fund loans for the grandiose and entirely unnecessary £31 million plan to turn George Street into a cycling superhighway.
The pile-on of competing interests bidding for a slice of the expected £50 million a year income was entirely predictable, each hoping the Tourist Tax would deliver a huge injection of cash to turn their dreams into reality.
The equally foreseeable result is a spending programme which tries to service as many projects as possible, and outrage from those who missed out, particularly the Fringe which got nothing for its High Street event spaces.
The money can only go so far, hence the plan to use some of the cash to service borrowing for capital projects, an estimated £3.6 million a year by 2029, a figure bound to rise as projects inevitably run over time and budget.
And the more money going to lenders for interest, the less there will be to make a sustainable difference, and looking at the number of schemes set for a pay day, there is a clear danger the money will not be seen to make much impact because the council’s largesse will be spread so thinly.
Maybe that’s why the George Street scheme seems to be top of the list, something the council can point to as proof the money has gone to a visible scheme which meets the requirement of the legislation to benefit tourism, because visitors might think is a nice place to be when the weather is good, even without the Castle view.
But a car ban on George Street is not top of any average resident’s wish list, and the commitment will saddle the city with more debt it can ill afford. And it is also acknowledged the disruption involved could put existing businesses at risk at a time when the retail and hospitality sectors are facing a financial crisis thanks to the anti-growth policies of both the SNP and Labour governments.
Badly-needed repairs to Rose Street are a better use of the resources and I would like to have seen a much more determined effort of keep on top of litter, graffiti and weeds.
But on the plus side, getting existing projects like the Dunard concert hall and the Old Royal High School music centre over the line as their cash runs out is a reasonable use with a promise of a tangible benefit. Those investments make sure important assets are delivered to enhance what Edinburgh has to offer, and ensuring the school is put to some use rather than the council footing a maintenance bill of well over £200,000 a year for a crumbling millstone.
The bunfight we are seeing is now going to be an annual event to make the budget process event more complex and fractious, as if it wasn’t bad enough already.