Bagpipe ban for tat shops

Tartan shops will be banned from blaring bagpipe music into the street in a new crackdown that will see persistent offenders having their sound system seized.

• Tourist shops on the Royal Mile are known to clutter streets and play music.

The action against noisy shops starts today and follows discussions with traders about what needs to be done to improve the Royal Mile and surrounding streets.

Extra environmental officers will be in the city centre from today to check no shops are breaking the rules.

They will also be cracking down on a range of other complaints, including shops that have mannequins or rails of merchandise obstructing the pavements.

• Is the council right to stop ban tartan tat shops playing music on to the Royal Mile? Vote here

It follows a meeting between Royal Mile traders and the council to agree on a "reasonable approach" to tackle the problems.

The move has been welcomed by local representatives.

City centre councillor Joanna Mowat said: "A hard-line approach to music coming out of shops would be very welcome because I get a lot of complaints about that.

"People feel that it lowers the tone of the area. If you can walk past and your eye is not drawn to the goods then you can't avoid the music.

"I would certainly welcome a tougher line on this - it is something I have asked for, residents have asked for and I know MSPs have asked for it too."

During a meeting with traders, council chiefs said that music being played into the street was one of their main concerns, as well as rails of goods being displayed on the street, excessive clutter in shop windows, oversized stands obstructing the pavement and too many baskets next to the shop.

It was agreed at the meeting that traders would not limit pedestrian passageways, display items on the street, cover their windows in posters or merchandise or play music into the street.

Traders that now do not follow the agreed rules could face confiscation of items.

A city council spokesman said: "While most shops do operate responsibly, there remain specific examples where this is not the case and, from Monday, council officers will be patrolling the city centre to ensure that displays are what we would consider to be reasonable - as agreed with traders at our meeting on July 22."Officers will also ensure that no music is played from speakers situated outside of shop-fronts."

Geoffrey Nicholsby, who runs kiltmaker Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmakers and Weaver, which has two branches on the Royal Mile, was unconvinced by the new crackdown.

He said: "We have heard it all before from them and it is all baloney.

"There's piles and piles of tack on the street, so that needs to be the priority.

"I don't think the music is really that important."

NEW RULES

• Do not limit pedestrian passage

• Display on or by the shop, not on the street

• The aim is to get people into the shop, not trade on the street

• The display should frame - not cover - the windows

• The main display should be in the shop window or inside the shop

• Music should not be projected out into the street