Tramworks to hit festive shopping

Published on Saturday 21 November 2009 00:16

THE launch of Edinburgh's pre-Christmas shopping celebrations will be hampered by tramworks in the city centre.

The Scotsman can reveal that transport leaders have admitted defeat over a bid to make Princes Street pedestrian-only for three days of special festivities due to start on Thursday.

Bad weather is being blamed for the late running of work, now expected to be continued until the early hours of next Sunday, just before buses are due back on the flagship thoroughfare.

It means work will be ongoing on large sections of Princes Street when the main festive attractions open for business and events, including street theatre, sound and light shows, and children's shows, are being held.

Although the council has insisted all events will go ahead as planned, access to the roadway will be heavily restricted and just three crossings over Princes Street will be allowed.

An annual fireworks display and high-profile launch of the city's Winter Wonderland arena, had already been shelved due to fears over crowd congestion and access problems next Thursday.

However, an 800,000 marketing campaign is being stepped up from Monday in a bid to attract shoppers and visitors into the city centre from Thursday, despite the prospect of extensive tramworks continuing. Special events are planned on Thursday night at the St James Centre, and Multrees Walk, the upmarket shopping arcade next to Harvey Nichols.

The city council last night apologised to businesses for the late running of the work and the scrapping of the pedestrianisation trial. A statement said: "We appreciate this may cause some short-term inconvenience. It is purely to enable the last section of work on the street."

The statement added: "For those who have the chance to look there is plenty to see including moving vehicles actually running on sections of the laid track. These railroaders mean we can move machinery and equipment easily along the street. Much of the lining of the road has been done and new setts or cobbles have been laid for the future central section."

News of the delay is a major blow to retailers who had persuaded the council to allow tramworks to continue during the summer festivals to avoid disrupting the festive period.

When the city's programme of festive events was unveiled last month, organisers promised four days of events "in celebration of the completion of an important stage in the tram construction programme". Earlier this week senior officials told councillors they would be "very disappointed" if Princes Street was not ready in time.

A spokeswoman for TIE said: "The date for the reopening of Princes Street has always been 29 November…

"However in support of the winter festivals, sections of the street are opening early from 26 November. Final sections of work will be being cleared from 26-28 November, including the removal of barriers."

Mandy Haeburn-Little, director of communications at TIE, added: "We are very nearly there now. We would like to thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding."