Plans for £35m Edinburgh George Street revamp backed

Plans for a major redevelopment of one of the Edinburgh New Town's main streets have been backed by city councillors, despite fears over a lack of funding.

The estimated £35m revamp of George Street will see parking down the centre of the street removed, a new cycle lane and most traffic banned.

The council hopes money for the project will come from the new visitor levy and through Scottish government and Transport Scotland funding schemes.

But concerns have been raised about the current financial situation and how likely it will be to secure all the money for the project.

If funding is found, construction is scheduled to start after the Edinburgh Festival in 2027 with a completion date of August or September 2030.

George Street is part of Edinburgh's Unesco World Heritage Site, famous for its Georgian architecture.

It was originally built as a residential area, however, in the Victorian period the houses were replaced by high quality shops, banks, hotels and restaurants.

Over the past decade there have been attempts to restrict the traffic on the street to allow more space for outdoor dining and drinking as well as more room for pedestrians.

At a meeting on Thursday, councillors voted six to five in favour of backing the most expansive – and expensive - redevelopment proposal.

The approved George Street revamp will include more space for pedestrians, seating areas, trees and raised planters.

Vehicle access will be restricted at certain times to just taxis and delivery vehicles, with "hostile vehicle mitigation" bollards controlling access at entry points.

Opposition councillors expressed concern over the scheme's practicality, instead calling for £10m to be spent on properly maintaining the existing street layout.

But council officers said this would not meet the city's street design guidelines and would not qualify for funding from public bodies.

Conservative councillor for the City Centre ward Joanna Mowat said: "We've been talking for nearly 11 years now.

"The elephant in the room is that we still don't have any money, and are reliant on applying to third parties and having this money granted to us before we can put a shovel in the ground."

Two lesser options, costing £13m and £20m, which would cut out certain elements of the full scheme, were also proposed but voted against.

The council said that if adequate funding for the project cannot be found, councillors will be able to scale back to one of these less ambitious options.

Transport and Environment Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: "This is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh's most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features.

"The wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination, and beyond."