Helen Martin: Old Town revolt over intolerable tourism

PRESSURE is building on the City of Edinburgh Council to acknowledge that too much tourism in such a small, compact city as ours, is intolerable.

The Old Town Community Council should be congratulated by people all over the Capital for demanding an end to tourist buses, lorries, hotel coaches and other large vehicles making their lives a misery.

Their report states: “We are perpetually told that it is necessary to sacrifice everything, including our architectural integrity, to attract ever more tourists to our city and that this is necessary because they bring vast amounts of money into the city.

Old Town Community Council members are demanding an end to tourist buses, lorries, hotel coaches and other large vehicles making their lives a misery. Picture: Jon Savage

“Meanwhile we are told the city cannot afford to undertake basic maintenance let alone upgrade anything.”

Of course it’s also the case that the council wants to ban local citizens’ cars from the centre … presumably to make way for coaches, tourist buses, trams etc. Let’s just wait and see how much “consultation” really takes place.