With approval having been given for the Edinburgh Trams extension to Newhaven the project team and now turning their attention to the support package which will be offered to businesses along the route during construction. To this end a new survey has been sent out finding out what “business as usual” look like today so that the support package can be properly scaled to try and reduce the obvious disruption construction will cause as much as possible.
Last time we reported on the proposed business support package the details were very brief but the Trams for Newhaven project team have now fleshed out the details a bit more. There will be £2 million worth of funding committed to this with the main aim being that the accessibility, vibrancy and desierability of the affected streets will be maintained.
There will be 10 different areas of support offered:
* On-street customer service staff
* Logistics Officers and Logistics Hubs (helping those businesses who may not be able to have loading/unloading of goods outside their premises during construction)
* A dedicated business development team
* Open for Business campaign
* Local discount scheme
* Keeping the local area clean and attractive
* Cargo bike hire
* Local transport hubs
* Community Fund (supporting local arts groups, community groups, artists and festivals)
* Business Continuity Fund (up to £6,000 per business – £3,000 per application – to help eligible small independent retailers with short-term cash flow issues)
The project team say that the package being considered is unprecedented for the city and that they hope that “businesses and residents alike will agree that this is a clear demonstration of the project’s commitment to help businesses prepare for the works ahead, to provide support in a targeted and helpful way and to do so in the spirit of openness and collaboration”.