Edinburgh council leader Jane Meagher has defended the city’s visitor levy, argued that Princes Street is on track to reopen later this month, and urged culture bosses to settle funding disputes without escalating them in the media.
Visitor levy has raised £5m in first month
Meagher, the Labour councillor from Portobello who was appointed to lead the City of Edinburgh Council in December 2024, said the new tourist tax has already delivered early benefits for the capital.
Speaking to News Briefing Team in her office at the City Chambers, she said the levy had raised an estimated £5m in its first month.
“We’ve had a hugely increased police presence so that the city centre in particular feels safer,” she told News Briefing Team.
“We’ve got an enhanced cleansing team in the city centre with the aim of keeping the place much cleaner, just because of the sheer numbers of people in the city centre.
“And finally we’ve got the ambassadors who are out and about supporting visitors, giving information, including about how to navigate the temporary closure of Princes Street. So we’ve already been able to make a difference, not only to visitors, but also to the general well-being of the city.”
Meagher said the council’s percentage-based collection model was chosen after consultation and argued it is fairer than a flat fee.
“When we did an extensive consultation, by far the preference was for a percentage because of course that means that people who are in budget accommodation are not paying the same as people who are in five star hotels and that seems much fairer.
“It’s also future proof. For example, if we have a flat fee and then inflation goes up, we’ll have to adjust the flat fee.
“Edinburgh is one of the main economic drivers of the Scottish economy. So the more we can do, the better. To me, it’s a win-win and a no-brainer.”
Princes Street work on schedule
On Princes Street, Meagher said the council expects work to be completed by Monday, August 31.
“I’m touching wood here,” she quipped, tapping the table with her hand.
“ I’ve checked today, as I do pretty well every day, progress is on schedule and we are anticipating that by the end of the month of August, Princes Street will be reopened to traffic.
“It will depend on the wind, but we’ve looked at the weather forecast and there’s none.”
The street was shut after the fire at the former Debenhams department store on July 9. The Scottish Government later announced a £5m funding package on August 5 to help with the response.
Asked about the closure, Meagher said safety had been the council’s main concern.
“Safety was always the dominant imperative. Some of these pieces of masonry weigh up to 850 kilos. That’s not far short of a tonne.
“Some of the smaller ones are 400, 350 kilos. I don’t want 350 kilos of masonry falling down onto a crowded Princes Street.
“It just doesn’t bear thinking about [but] there would have been deaths and at the very least serious injury if that had happened.”
Festival funding row
Meagher also addressed tensions with Edinburgh’s festival leaders after criticism of the council’s handling of funding for the Fringe, the International Festival and the Book Festival.
Fringe chief Tony Lankester had described the council as “farcical” and “tone-deaf”. Meagher said she wanted a more constructive approach.
“We’re about engaging, talking, and communicating. That’s what works,” she said.
“Please don’t just use the media to fight battles. Let’s be a bit more mature about it. Let’s talk. Let’s come up with sensible solutions that satisfy not only the festivals, which are massively important, but also the whole city.”
The council had initially proposed a 5% uplift in funding for the festivals using visitor levy revenue, before increasing that to 11.5% after backlash from organisers.
Meagher said the council had long supported the city’s cultural events and the work behind them.
“There’s a massive amount that goes on behind the scenes that costs the people of Edinburgh money,” she said. “And that’s been going on for decades. We’ve supported the background work for festivals for decades and it’s about recognising that.”
“In terms of the Fringe, we’ve provided a central hub for them on a 99 year lease. That took time and effort, but saves the Fringe something like £30,000. So, that’s not to be sniffed at either.”
The council leader also said the city was dealing with multiple pressures at once, from the Princes Street fire to festival funding and the rollout of the levy.
With next May’s council election approaching, she may also face a shifting political landscape. Five political groups currently hold between 10 and 15 seats on the council.