ROYAL Mile traders camped outside council offices for six days throughout Hogmanay and freezing winter weather to ensure they got a pitch.
Ten market stall holders set up a rota system to save their places at the front of the queue and claim a prized licence. Their long, cold vigil paid off when the High Street offices opened at 8.30am yesterday, leaving several people waiting behind th
em disappointed.
ROTA SYSTEM: Stall holders in the queue for street traders licences at the council headquarters on the Royal Mile. Picture: ED JONES
But the traders immediately hit out at the council for not making more pitches available and pushing them to such extremes.
Aileen Kelly, 32, from Morningside, has sold jewellery from her stall for 12 years, and was determined not to lose her spot.
Some traders had come along over the past week to try to grab a place in the line, but were told the first ten places were taken.
"The queue has been going on outside for six days, because it's first come first served," she said. "We have a rota and people take it in turns doing three hours at a time. There used to be seven places in the Royal Mile, but they've cut that back to four, plus the six we've got in Hunter Square.
"Every major European city has a vibrant street market but we have virtually nothing. We are legitimate businesses but people have been forced to queue at night. Women have been standing from 1am to 4am – it's not safe."
Elaine Davidson, of Nicolson Street, who sells jewellery and paintings, added: "I think the council needs to go back to the drawing board. They say 'first come, first served' but there are people who have had stalls for 12 or 15 years, and the new people coming in have no chance."
The street traders have an uneasy relationship with Royal Mile shopkeepers, many of whom want to see fewer market stalls.
Thom McCarthy, committee member of the Old Town Business Association, and owner of Golden and Crystal Clear shops, said: "I pay £10,000 a year in business rates for my two shops. I am now going to close down my shops and open one in the High Street to cut down on my overheads."
And Abi Denoon, manager of Pie in the Sky, in Cockburn Street, said: "The street traders do take away from our business. We have six shops in Cockburn Street and the cost of running them for the year is astronomical, then people come along for four weeks, with no overheads, and sometimes the same stock as we've got."
A city council spokesman said the number of pitches available to street traders had been reduced by two in 2006. He added: "The first come, first served policy has worked well in previous years. While street traders add to the atmosphere of the Royal Mile and Hunter Square, we also have to bear in mind the interests of other traders, and keep the area relatively clear for pedestrians. It is a balancing act and we keep the situation under review."
The full article contains 504 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
