Businesses slam advertising ban as extension proposed

City chiefs introduced the ban on "A-boards" on both the Royal Mile and Rose Street last summer in a bid to crack down on clutter and improve the shopping experience.

The move, however, has been given a resounding thumbs down in a study of businesses that was carried out by the council then kept under wraps.

An analysis of the findings - seen by the Evening News - has revealed that 78 per cent of business owners that responded said that the removal of the boards had a negative impact on business.

Sixty per cent of all respondents, which includes residents, visitors, workers and business owners, said that they did not believe that the removal of A-boards had improved the appearance of the two streets.

The findings have emerged as council chiefs consider extending the ban to other parts of the city centre.

A council spokeswoman said: "The survey is just a small part of the assessment of the ban and any decision about the trial will not be based solely on these results.

"Evaluation is ongoing and heritage and resident groups, alongside community councils, are strongly supportive of the decision."

Six in every ten respondents said that the ban had not made it easier to move around the streets, while only four in ten indicated that they would support the extension of the ban.

Since the ban came into force last July, environmental wardens have confiscated more than 30 A-boards and sent warning letters to around a dozen businesses.

The findings of the survey - supposed to be published by February - only emerged after a freedom of information request by Alan Rudland, chairman of the Leith Business Association.

Mr Rudland said: "This is another example of them having what seems like a good idea for one group of people then going ahead with it without taking on the views of everybody that will be affected.

"You get the impression that this has been forced on businesses, although I do realise that some of the businesses may have been at fault. There needs to be a compromise, not the heavy-handed sledgehammer to crack a nut approach.

"The survey seems to show a resistance from businesses and no apparent benefit to the area."