Plans to pedestrianise Edinburgh's George Street approved

Plans to pedestrianise a major city centre road in Edinburgh have been passed by councillors after a "long and painful debate".

George Street will close to vehicular traffic and be replaced with a tree-lined boulevard with space for walking and cycling.

The refurbishment, estimated to cost about £20m, will allow buses to access the street in the event of a "major incident" blocking other routes between the east and west of the city.

City of Edinburgh Council's transport convener, Stephen Jenkinson, told a meeting of the transport and environment committee the decision would provide "clarity" for local businesses.

George Street forms part of Edinburgh's Unesco World Heritage Site, famous for its Georgian architecture.

It was originally built as a residential area, but houses were replaced by high-quality shops, banks, hotels and restaurants during the Victorian period.

Various attempts have been made to restrict traffic on the street to allow more space for outdoor dining and drinking, as well as more room for pedestrians, over the past decade.

Councillors gave their initial backing to plans last year, however they were held up due to funding concerns.

They have now voted in favour of the revised proposals.

Traffic will be barred from the street, with a central strip of parking removed to create a wide pavement for pedestrians and built-in cycling infrastructure.

An amendment calling for the removal of trees and other greenery from the new layout was rejected.

Construction on the project could begin by late 2027.

However, a provision was made to allow buses access to the street "at slow speeds" in the event of other roads in the city centre being forced to close.

George Street was used as an alternative route over the summer when a fire at a former department store on Princes Street shut a large section of the roadway.

William Duncan from the George Street Association, which represents businesses on the street, described the plans as a "long saga" during his appearance at the committee.

Part of the funding for the project will be generated from the city's visitor levy, which came into force earlier this year.

About £10m in funding for upgrades to Princes Street is also included in the wider city centre improvement project.

An additional £200,000 was allocated for Market Street to install a wider northern footway and a zebra crossing to the existing taxi rank on East Market Street.

Council officers said maintaining the trees would cost about £350,000 with an additional £500,000 in associated costs for utilities and overheads.

Councillor Jenkinson called the long-running plans a "long and sometimes painful debate", highlighting the need to draw a line under the issue.

He added: "George Street has been talked about for many, many years and the design has gone through many, many iterations. It has been contentious and a hot topic.

"What we have is a proposal which is a compromise position.

"I do have some reservations on elements of it but we do need to provide clarity and to give people confidence to make future investment decisions on George Street."

Additional reporting by local democracy reporter Nicholas Malizia.