Hospitality businesses in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket were plunged into darkness over the festive period by a series of power cuts.
Following outages on both December 11th and 30th, the Grassmarket’s operators banded together to call on SP Energy Networks’ Chief Executive Officer Nicola Connelly to address the ‘systemic vulnerabilities’ in the area’s power supply.
The area suffered another power cut on the morning of 31st December but, mercifully, the lights were back on in time for the Hogmanay rush.
Despite that reprieve, around 30 restaurants and bars in the Grassmarket are now counting the cost of ‘a significant loss to Christmas trade’ due to ongoing network energy failures.
In one December weekend alone, the area’s businesses lost the whole of Friday night’s service and the entire Saturday lunch service, meaning thousands of pounds in lost revenue across several venues, while their running costs remained.
In a joint letter to Connelly – which was followed up with media interviews by Signature Group’s business development director Louise MacLean, the Grassmarket businesses noted that loss of power was not a new problem in the area, but in fact a longstanding issue that had cropped up multiple times in recent years.
“These interruptions have had a significant impact on our operations, the customer experience, the visitor experience and overall business and city reputation,” read the Grassmarket Hospitality Operatorsletter, which was shared with the Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council Paul Lawrence and Angus Robertson MSP.
“While we appreciate SP Energy Networks’ apologies and the assurance that network condition reviews are underway, the recurring nature of these outages indicates systemic vulnerabilities that require urgent and permanent solutions.
“The current approach of reactive repairs is insufficient to safeguard businesses and customers in this critical hospitality district.”
The businesses called on SPEN to share a detailed timeline for its network reinforcement or infrastructure upgrades in the Grassmarket area; to establish a dedicated liaison group with affected businesses to provide regular updates and involve us in planning; and to outline its immediate plans to minimise disruption during the current winter season.
