tie have agreed to look again at compensation for newer businesses along the tram route. Currently businesses that have started trading since April 2006 – approximately 21 months ago –they will not be entitled to any compensation. This date was originally agreed with the Chamber of Commerce as any business setting up after this date would have been aware disruption would be coming. But guess what? These businesses have now started to whinge that it is not fair!
Willie Gallagher, Chairman of tie, initially said: “Those businesses opening on the route after April 1 2006 did so with the full knowledge of the tram project's approval and were therefore able to balance that in their decision making. It is right that businesses that did not have this opportunity be compensated."
One of the businesses that will be affected is Shore Sounds Music. Their owner, Mark Anderson, moaned: “I opened in August 2006 and I am going to have as much disruption as the more established businesses on this street but I won't be able to get the compensation. I am losing thousands a month. We do a lot of guitar lessons and bookings are down. I think people are put off by the roadworks and worry about things like parking."
However, Ron Hewitt, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, defended the decision: “We worked long and hard to negotiate a scheme to protect retailers from the negative impacts of the tram scheme construction on business. To us it seems entirely reasonable to draw the line at those who started business along the line with the knowledge that the tram scheme was approved."
But now tie have agreed they will look into the matter again. Mr Gallagher commented: “I am going to have discussions to consider the arguments put forward for moving this cut-off date and see if any of the cases put to us can be accommodated within our compensation budget."
Graham Russell, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses Edinburgh, said: “I welcome this step forward but it is about time because we have been under tremendous pressure from our members for the last seven months telling us the compensation scheme isn't working. Disruption from the trams will affect all business regardless of when they opened and this needs to be recognised. We need TIE going out of their way to help businesses as this disruption will only get worse."
Some of the most affected long standing businesses along the tram route will be in line to get up to £4,000 in compensation.
Source: The Scotsman