'Clean up and you'll win back shoppers'

MORE needs to be done to clean up Edinburgh's shopping streets in order to counter the decline of the city's nine "town centres", a survey published today has found.

The biggest survey of residents, shoppers and business owners yet has found that tackling issues relating to the environment of shopping districts - such as reducing the amount of litter or dog fouling - would be the best way of improving them.

The survey of nearly 2000 people in Edinburgh was carried out as part of research ahead of a new city council "town centre strategy", which will look to counter the nationwide decline of town centres caused by the economic slump, competition from out-of-town shopping centres and the growth of internet shopping.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Stockbridge emerged as the city's top town centre in the poll, narrowly ahead of Morningside/Bruntsfield. However, Gorgie was the city's least popular town centre, with Leith coming second last.

• Does the cleanliness of an area affect your decision to shop there? Vote here

Councillor Tom Buchanan, the city's economic development leader, said: "Edinburgh's town centres have much to offer the city and its residents, and yet we feel they are undervalued.

"We have learned much from this survey, in particular that local residents value the sense of community and identity that their town centre offers. This is something we will look to build upon as we develop action plans for each area.

"Of course, with budgets becoming ever tighter, we must search for low-cost, high-impact solutions relevant to the wide-ranging feedback we have received."

The range of shops and businesses within the nine centres was the factor liked most by respondents, with private transport, including traffic and the lack of parking, among the most disliked elements of shopping in the centres.

Of the factors that most people wanted to see improved, more than a third said "environment and the public realm", which includes litter, waste and the appearance of the street, narrowly ahead of the need to improve transport.

Gorgie/Dalry, which fewer people voted for as a town centre that works well than any of the other nine, came in for criticism for the amount of litter and dog fouling, as well as the lack of parking.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Top suggested improvements included more crime prevention, improved parking and better cleaning and waste services.

Tannis Dodd, secretary of the Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council, who set up a campaign against the arrival of a Sainsbury's Local store in the area, said Stockbridge benefits from its good range of shops for everyday use by the community.But she said more can be done.

"There is a town centre feel about Stockbridge because people actually do most of their shopping in the town centre and people who live here use the shops on a daily basis."

Council chiefs are discussing objectives and strategies for each of the nine centres, with draft action plans due to be published by the end of the year before the final plan is presented next March.