Council crackdown on Royal Mile advertising

Council bosses are proposing to crack down on the advertising displayed on the Capital’s most historic street.

The Council is concentrating on placing restrictions on shop signs, flags and advertisement posters as they push on with a regeneration plan that was launched during the summer.

If this new "Regulation 11 Direction Order" is enforced, shop owners will be required to apply for planning permission for signage and shop front advertising.

The Council has been trying to remove clutter from the one of the city's most famous streets so that they can focus on showcasing its historic architecture.

The first move of the regeneration plan began on 1 July and it banned shops from putting up advertisement boards on the Royal Mile.

Adam Wilkinson, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage, stated that this initial move was greatly needed. He said: “The Royal Mile is the nation's High Street, world-renowned and a must-see for all visitors to Scotland.

“Given its history, buildings and the range of national institutions located there, the Royal Mile deserves to be presented in the best possible way.”

Mr Wilkinson believes the Regulation 11 Direction Order is a step in the right direction: “Purveyors of lower quality goods clog up their shop fronts with all sorts of detritus in the hope of shouting louder than the neighboring shop, creating a cheap confusion at eye level.”

However, Gino Landa, a member of the Singh Landa family who own 15 shops in the city centre feels different. He said that the initial cracking down on advertisements on the Royal Mile was unfair to those with businesses off the main street.

He explained that: "Often they are the only way to let people know where a shop is. In the current climate, I think it's unnecessary for the Council to be doing this."

The council’s ultimate plan is to diversify the types of shops on the Royal Mile in an attempt get rid of its tacky image. As the biggest landlord on the Royal Mile, the council will be able to dictate what goods its tenants are allowed to sell.