Edinburgh Councillors call for Powers to Crack Down on "Nuisance" Buskers

Edinburgh Council's pressing for greater powers to move on "nuisance" buskers in the capital’s city centre. They’re looking at by-laws for areas for certain areas – including the Old Town, Waverley Bridge and Portobello Promenade.

At Thursday's Culture and Communities Committee, Councillors stressed that street performers were an essential part of culture in the capital - but in certain hotspots, locals are often frustrated with the noise and the same song being played repeatedly.

“We have exhausted all opportunities we can think of within the powers we have right now"

Police are allowed to move on buskers, but the current enforcement arrangements have been 'exhausted'. On Thursday, senior council officer Gavin Brown told the meeting: “Busking is one of the many things street enforcement do have to deal with but they just don’t have the powers to deal with it at the moment”.

“We have exhausted all opportunities we can think of within the powers we have right now, and members have clearly communicated, rightfully so, that this issue is not going away.”

In the city centre, members of the public had mixed views, with one telling us buskers “add quite a lot of good acoustic life to the place”. Another said “they enhance the atmosphere, they’re making a living for themselves, buskers don’t bother me at all”.

Others weren't so sure, with one lady describing them as "a nuisance", complaining "they just take up so much space - it’s okay one or two but sometimes over the festival there’s so many, you just can’t move”.

“At the top of Waverly Bridge, they’re so loud that you sometimes can’t hear yourself speak, but usually they’re pretty good”.

The Council will now ask the Scottish Government to give street enforcement officers the ability to order troublesome buskers to move on. It will also explore creating a byelaw to deal with specific areas – such as the Old Town, Waverley Bridge and Portobello Promenade.