Royal Mile traders left furious as council bans ad boards

Council bosses said they were taking the action in response to public concerns about "street clutter" which makes it difficult to get around the Capital.

From 1 July the council will ban so-called A-boards from the city centre, including pedestrian thoroughfares such as the Royal Mile and Rose Street.

Any retailers that flout the restrictions will have their boards confiscated and pay 50 to get them back.

• Online poll: Should advertising boards be banned from city centre streets?

Vote now

Mike Penny, city centre neighbourhood manager, said: "After years of debate, I am pleased that we have now made the decision to remove advertising boards from these streets completely.

"I am convinced this will have a positive impact on the city environment and make these streets safer and easier to navigate for both visitors and residents.

"We remain committed to supporting the business community and I'm sure by working together we will come up with creative and safe advertising solutions."

Adam Wilkinson, director of Edinburgh World Heritage, said the move was what the historic street deserved.

He said: "The Royal Mile is the nation's High Street, world-renowned and a must-see for all visitors to Scotland. Given its history, buildings and the range of national institutions located there, the Royal Mile deserves to be presented in the best possible way."

However, Gino Landa, a member of the Singh Landa family which owns 15 shops in the city centre, said the move was likely to hit retailers, especially those with businesses down closes and off the main street.

He said: "Often they are the only way to let people know where a shop is. In the current climate, I think it's unnecessary for the council to be doing this.

"If people were falling over the A-boards and hurting themselves that would be different, but it looks as if the council are just doing this to pick fights with the retailers."

The latest move comes after the council revealed plans to dictate what kind of shops operate on the Royal Mile in a bid to overhaul what some believe is its tacky image.

As the biggest landlord on the Royal Mile, the local authority has the power to decide which tenants it leases to and what goods they are allowed to sell.