Helen Martin: Edinburgh Council must work for us, not tourists

The councils relentless drive to attract more tourists to Edinburgh is proving controversial. Picture: Ian Georgeson

MANY newspaper columnists have a thread running through their work, sometimes based on their political affiliation, a passionate cause such as the environment, a professional interest in the economy, or a talent for comedy and entertainment.

Almost 30 years ago I began this column, with everything from occasional humour, politics, passion, personal experiences, nutrition, local and national issues, and often rebelling against political correctness or other societal changes.

Recently (I’m disappointed to admit) most of my columns involve criticism of the city council. By staying on the same track like that, I realise that readers won’t regard anything I put forward as “objective”. It’s as if I have a constant gripe and would complain about anything and everything the council do.

Being a councillor is not an easy challenge. Between councillor surgeries, e-mails, council meetings and committees, attending local events, campaigning and keeping in touch with the areas they represent, it means long hours and hard work. And even failing to wear a tie has been known to cause an uproar.

But our city councillors certainly qualify as being controversial – something that provides much fodder for newspapers!

Trams, approving plans for massive student accommodation, reducing facilities at Meadowbank, threatening to close down Portobello Golf Club, charging for a failing system to collect garden refuse, lopping down the trees in Princes Street Gardens, proposing to “redesign” the city, sticking to an anti-car policy, aiming for extensive pedestrianisation and cycling which ignores the elderly, and pushing onwards keeping their feet jammed on the accelerator for tourism, are merely current topics.

They all cause division in the city – but that’s fair enough too. No specific council action or plan gets 100 per cent public approval.

However, there are some general issues growing rapidly among city inhabitants. I assume councillors read the Evening News every day, especially pieces which are not written by journalists. In recent months the Letters page and Online Commentary, sent in by the public, give the clearest picture of how council tax payers feel about council decisions.

The biggest swelling of opinion is that councillors put tourists’ needs above those of the residents. Another is basic services not being delivered. And a third is that with such a budget deficit, spending vast sums of money on unnecessary projects rather than essentials is unjustifiable.

While the public think councils are there to protect rate-payers and provide vital services, councillors (without any necessary qualifications) seem to think they are visionaries, in charge of the Capital’s worldwide fame and renown, investing millions and empowered to decide the city’s future. So, who is calling the shots?