Square is boxed in by tram works as footfall decreases

THE credit crunch and tram works are being blamed for a drop in visitors to St Andrew Square following the opening of its historic gardens.

The £2.6 million revamp of the gardens, which resulted in them being opened to the public for the first time in its 238-year history, was expected to see a surge in the number of visitors to the area.

A new pathway linked department stores Jenners and Harvey Nichols, and it was hoped that the new public space would help boost the number of people moving east from the gardens. But new city council figures show that footfall recorded outside the Harvey Nichols department store has actually decreased since the garden was opened.

The slowing economy as the credit crunch continues to bite is one factor being blamed for the drop, alongside ongoing tram construction works.

But businesses still believe the revamp will bring more customers to the area in the longer term.

In the 12 weeks since the garden was opened to the public, 1.28 million people were recorded walking past a footfall monitoring device at Harvey Nichols, making the average weekly presence 106,931. It compares to 1.35 million, or a weekly average 112,201, being detected in the 12 weeks before the gardens were opened.

Gordon Drummond, general manager of Harvey Nichols, said: "The square is extremely busy on sunny days – and even on less sunny days it is very busy.

"I think there are a lot of factors that could account for it. The early Easter fell just before the gardens were opened, so that may have had an effect.

"Roadworks are happening right through the city and I'm sure that will be having an effect as well.

"It may be that the opening of the square has helped us mask what might have been a much bigger drop."

Although the counters track the number of people using the side of the street that Harvey Nichols is on, they are not able to show how many people are using the gardens themselves.

Essential Edinburgh, formerly known as the Edinburgh City Centre Management Company, is now in charge of managing the St Andrew Square Garden. It said that the garden had been used well by the public.

Ian Broadfoot, chief operating officer of Essential Edinburgh, said: "St Andrew Square Garden is an added attraction for Edinburgh visitors, workers and residents.

"Its popularity is there for all to see with the huge numbers of people using the space.

"Come rain or shine, you can see Edinburgh workers eating their lunches or visitors relaxing, as well as those who are using the garden as a means of access between Princes Street, George Street and Multrees Walk."

• www.edinburgh.gov.uk
• www.gregorshore.co.uk