Promoting the Capital - 'There are too many such organisations'

This week Jane Wood, the chair of Essential Edinburgh, announced she was quitting, while chief executive Tom Campbell is on long-term sick leave.

Meanwhile, the organisation faces a revolt from businesses which claim the compulsory levy they pay to fund its work is a waste of money.

At the moment, it looks like when the Business Improvement District (BID) comes up for renewal in two years it will be the first in the UK to be rejected by local firms. If refuseniks like Tony Singh get their way, it could be wound up even earlier.

This is all deeply embarrassing for those who held up the BID as a solution to the city centre's ills.

While Essential Edinburgh has done some good work, such as cleaning up streets and helping businesses fight shoplifting, too many firms feel they have gained too little bang for their buck.

The fact that Campbell is well-liked and Wood brought a touch of glamour to its dealings has clearly not been enough.

We wish Campbell a fast recovery but - assuming he returns - he and Wood's successor have a big job on their hands to hold Essential Edinburgh together, never mind turn around opinion and win a second BID term in the 2013 re-ballot.

Should it survive anyway? Promoting the city centre is vital work, but there must be many who wonder if there aren't actually too many organisations involved in such activities.

One knee-jerk reaction would be to bring Essential Edinburgh within the city council, but the local authority has enough basic services to provide already and too little cash to do them.

The answer, instead, may be to bring more cohesion to promoting the Capital.

The city is currently looking for a 110,000-a-year boss for Marketing Edinburgh, which is to take over the work of Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance, which was set up by the council, the city's business tourism unit and its film location agency.

Let's save some money and give it the BID to run too.