Edinburgh Princes Street to remain closed for 'foreseeable future' due to major fire

A section of Edinburgh’s Princes Street is to remain closed for the “foreseeable future” following a building fire.

The building at the site of the old Debenhams department store suffered “significant damage” in the blaze, which broke out in the early hours of July 9.

Edinburgh City Council have said “complex and time-consuming” work is ongoing to make the building safe, as well as preserving as much of its heritage value as possible.

Princes Street, between Frederick Street and South Charlotte Street, is expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future, while Rose Street South Lane also remains closed.

The closures have resulted in the rerouting of the Edinburgh Festival Carnival so it can still take place on Sunday, July 19.

Starting at The Mound as planned, the parade will instead join Princes Street and head east towards St David Street.

The parade will then turn back to march up Princes Street until Frederick Street, eventually reaching the entrance to West Princes Street Gardens.

Traffic diversions to aid travel to and from the Scotland v Fiji rugby match on Saturday will be in place, while changes to bus routes have also been put in place.

Trams are currently only able to operate between the Airport and Shandwick Place.

The council is also working closely with Voi Bikes to provide additional capacity, particularly in and around Leith, and will be expanding the fleet from 800 to 1,000 bikes by the end of next week. Additional bike parking is being arranged in the city centre to accommodate those travelling into the city from Leith and Newhaven.

Council leader Jane Meagher said: “We’re in regular contact with festivals and event organisers with a view to limiting disruption to our events calendar, and I’m delighted that we’ve found an alternative route for the wonderful Edinburgh Festival Carnival so it can still go ahead this weekend.

“We’re also hopeful of being able to find alternative locations for some of the events and attractions displaced from George Street.”

Trams are unable to operate past Shandwick Place. iStock

The council has been working with affected businesses to ensure all Rose Street businesses reopen on July 18.

A request for support has also been submitted to the Scottish Government.

Meagher said: “I’m particularly grateful to the city’s transport providers – Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams – for their swift and constructive responses to this challenging situation, and I know there’s a huge amount of work going into restoring the tram to its full route as soon as possible.

“This road closure is essential to protect the public while experts assess the condition of the fire-damaged building and make it safe, but we’re letting everyone know that the city centre is very much still open for business and encouraging people to check our website for the latest travel advice and information on visiting the area.”