Leith businesses face 'race to the bottom' as roadwork delays slash footfall

Businesses in Leith say they are being pushed to the breaking point by a loss in footfall caused by ongoing council-led infrastructure works.

The Leith Connections project, which aims to deliver a new walking and cycling route through the Shore, was due to finish months ago.

But repeated delays have left restaurants, cafés and bars struggling with road closures, reduced access and uncertainty about when disruption will end.

More than 50 local businesses have now come together under the Shore Business Collective to challenge council decisions they say are harming trade.

‘We’ve been physically fenced in’

Graham Parsons says footfall at The Rose Leaf has dropped by 30% STV News

For Graham Parsons, the road restrictions right outside his restaurant, The Rose Leaf, mean it’s been harder for his customers to reach the area.

He says footfall is now down by 30% – and he’s had to make some cutbacks to stay open.

“It’s been a massive impact, significant for a small business – we’ve been physically fenced in for most of the year.

“Access has been cut off to public transport and cars because of road closures. They literally dug up to the front door. If you were disabled or in a pram, there was no access whatsoever.

“We’ve had to tighten the belt across the board. We’ve not replaced people who have left, and we’ve even had to let people go.

“We’ve managed to hang in there this year, but if this drags on into next year, there’s going to be a lot of closures down at the Shore.

“We’ve not reached that point yet, but we hate to think we would.”

‘A race to the bottom’

Dan Shearon says roadwork delays make it 'impossible to plan for the future' — Dan Shearon says roadwork delays make it ‘impossible to plan for the future’ STV News

Dan Shearon, who owns restaurant Tapa, has also had to cut staff. He said businesses are being pushed into “a race to the bottom.”

“I welcome investment in the area, and when it’s finished, I think it will be brilliant – but how can you plan ahead when you don’t have an end date in sight and there’s no support there?

“We built a plan to deal with this for the first five months. With the project going over time, it means what we put in place has become worthless.”

He said the restaurant has faced a drop in footfall of between 30% and 40% this year.

“We’ve had to re-evaluate how we do everything. We’ve had to make people redundant and not hire when people leave, to keep the wages within the operational budget.

“How do you balance wanting to give a set standard of service with the fact that your turnover isn’t good?

“We don’t want to cut back on provenance and what we built our reputation on over the last 16 years. But you have to weigh everything up. These are big decisions we have to make.”

‘The cherry on top of a challenging year’

Ashley Harley from Mimi's Bakehouse says it's been 'a really challenging year' for businesses — Ashley Harley from Mimi’s Bakehouse says it’s been ‘a really challenging year’ for businesses STV News

For Ashley Harley of Mimi’s Bakehouse, the roadworks are “the cherry on top” of wider pressures, from soaring costs to Edinburgh’s outdoor seating fees.

“The project, we felt, wasn’t communicated to businesses. They just speak to people that live here, not the businesses that run here. You feel out on a limb.

“Regulars say they can’t get here anymore. If I can’t get people to my business, how do I run a business?”

She said business owners met with councillors in May to urgently propose measures to support trade amid the ongoing disruption.

Among the suggestions was a flat outdoor seating fee similar to Glasgow’s model to mitigate the impact of local roadworks.

But she said they’ve failed to receive any tangible solutions.

“Glasgow has a flat fee of £200 – it’s per square foot in Edinburgh.

“Six tables cost us £2,000 to put out. Businesses are now choosing not to pay for it at all.”

Ashley and her family have been forced to make tough decisions to protect their business in a difficult climate – including halving the size of their restaurant in January to cut costs, a move that has also halved their takings.

Businesses say they have been 'fenced in' due to roadworks — Businesses say they have been ‘fenced in’ due to roadworks STV News

“There’s a baseline cost you need to cover that you can’t get away from. It’s been really hard – but we’re still here and keep driving forward.

“We want the council to listen and open up conversation. We’ve got a list of easy wins.

“Councillors must engage with us – some of them have completely ignored us. Let’s try to bring the Shore back to what it was.”

Transport and environment convenor Steven Jenkinson said restrictions around the Shore should be finished within a few weeks.

“I do genuinely regret delays to the project and the impact that has had on some businesses and residents as we’ve been rolling out the Leith Connections project.

“It’s unfortunate businesses feel they’ve been, in some way, penalised – but I feel we’ve been fair and consistent in how we’ve treated businesses across the city.

“There will be lessons learned post-implementation to understand what worked well, and what didn’t – and hopefully improve as we go forward.

“It’s important to recognise that this is an important project for us as a city – to improve walking, wheeling, and cycling, and to encourage liveable neighbourhoods. Ultimately, it’s important to get them delivered right, rather than just completed on time.

“I think if businesses and residents bear with us a few more weeks, we’ll get this over the line and businesses back to normal.”