Shops wheel out new weapon against tolls

A trailer with the message: "Vote no to congestion charging" will be driven through streets in the city centre for the next ten days.

Around 40 city-centre businesses have donated money to a "war chest" to launch the campaign against the city council’s congestion-charging scheme.

Organisers say it will cost 10-an-hour to keep the trailer on the road and are looking for additional financial support from other independent firms to extend its run, and possibly add a second trailer.

The billboard, which is being donated free for a week by the city-based Mobile Billboard Company, will also carry the congestion-charging logo, with a difference - a red circle with a white "C", crossed out by a tyre track.

Thom McCarthy - nicknamed the Denim King after making millions selling jeans from stores in the Capital during the 1970s - is leading the campaign, which includes businesses from the High Street, the Bridges and Cockburn Street.

Mr McCarthy, who owns a string of shops in the city, including Golden on the High Street, said the group was taking whatever donations businesses could afford, from 10 upwards, in a bid to keep pressure on the council.

The group of businessmen has also set up a website - www.no-congestion-charge.com - which describes the scheme as a "trick to steal more of our money" and urges people to sign a petition objecting to the proposals.

Mr McCarthy said: "We have set up a website for retailers to make donations because we want to put more than one of these trailers on the road. Whatever they can afford will make a difference.

"What independent retailers have to ask themselves is how much will they lose if congestion charging is introduced? I know without a doubt I’m going to lose thousands and we may even see people going out of business altogether."

Mr McCarthy said many retailers were angry at last week’s news that political analysts had described the question and information to be sent out as part of the referendum as "completely biased".

He added: "This is a democracy and they promised us a referendum, but we need a level playing field."

The campaign group’s website adds that other cities, such as London, had found congestion charging does not necessarily address congestion problems.

It says: "We believe that the charge will not address the congestion issue in any way and is nothing more than another trick for Edinburgh City Council to steal more of our money.

"The congestion charge will have a huge effect on businesses in Edinburgh, and would you still pop into town when it costs 5 to get in?"

John Richardson, chairman of the Old Town Business Association, said he thought all city centre traders would back the new campaign.

He said: "Although we are not directly involved, we strongly support this campaign. The council has accepted congestion charging will do immeasurable damage to retail in town.

"They claim it will recover in 2009, but 100 per cent of retailers feel it won’t recover at all. The face of a city is its shops and it only takes one or two major retailers to pull out and shops will become virtually non-existent in the town centre."

Liberal Democrat councillor Fred Mackintosh added: "The more ‘no’ campaigns the better. There should be a groundswell of people reacting to what this council are up to."

However, city transport leader Councillor Andrew Burns argued that any impact on retailers would be minimal if special measures were put in place to protect them. He said: "A recent retail impact study clearly indicated that as long as early mitigation measures were put in place, there need be no impact whatsoever on retail trade in Edinburgh.

"Indeed, the study intimated that in the medium and long-term, there would be a hugely increased footfall in the city centre to the benefit of retailers."

Last week, a report paid for by the council admitted the retail sector is facing a 38 million-a-year slump in business as a result of the proposed road tolls scheme. It predicted retail expenditure in the city centre could plunge by as much as four per cent as a direct consequence of the tolls.

Consultants brought in to examine the impact of the tolls also warned that anything between 140 and 380 jobs could be lost.