Warning for retail over demise of ice rink
● Promoters plead for rethink over ousting of city’s festive attraction
Organisers of Edinburgh’s winter festivals have pleaded for a rethink over a controversial ice rink ban from one of its most historic squares – warning the city’s retailers will lose business over the festive season without it.
Promoters Underbelly have published an open letter calling on the owners of St Andrew Square to lift a ban on the attraction, claiming there is no suitable alternative location for it in the city centre.
They have called for a summit of city stakeholders to resolve a dispute over the scale and impact of the ice rink in time for the winter amid warnings that the loss of an attraction visited by 80,000 revellers last year may deter people from visiting the city.
Essential Edinburgh, which manages the square on behalf of owners like Standard Life, Gleneagles, RBS and Harvey Nichols, admitted the loss of the ice rink may hit “footfall.”
It emerged last month that property owners in the square have decided to oust the ice rink due to concerns over its scale and impact.
The garden underwent a £2.6 million makeover funded by the city council and Scottish Enterprise before opening to the public in 2008. However, Fringe promoters were turfed out of the garden in 2017 and the ice rink has been banished over claims it has been “wrecking” the garden for years.
The open letter states: “We’ve seen the number for people enjoying skating in the city centre grow by over 150 per cent since we took over Edinburgh’s Christmas – more than 80,000 last year. It is our hope everyone can take time to consider the issues more fully and reflect on what can be achieved in Edinburgh for this Christmas and for the future.
“In an age where shops face greater pressures than ever because of the growth of online retail, it surely cannot be in anyone’s interest to reduce footfall and activity in the city centre.
“Given the possible impact on the city centre, we hope we can get stakeholders around the table to consider the issues and see if solutions can be found.”
Underbelly director Charlie Wood said: “You’ve only got to ask yourself why someone comes into the city centre at Christmas. It’s not just about retail any more.
“Cities have to provide amenities and attractions to bring people in. That’s why this festival has an economic impact of £113m and every town and city now has Christmas events.
“If the events in Edinburgh get smaller there will be fewer reasons to come here and a reduction of the benefits that the city gets.”
Essential Edinburgh chief executive Roddy Smith said: “People do not come into the city centre just to go ice skating. There could be another attraction in the square that could draw in footfall. The most important thing for the owners is the upkeep of the square.