Key Points
- City councillors have made ‘significant progress’ towards a £41.1m capital investment package for the City Operations and Infrastructure fund over the next three years.
- Proposals include funding for George Street and First New Town project, Portobello Promenade masterplan, bin upgrades, setted streets programme, and accessible public toilets.
- Revenue from the Edinburgh Visitor Levy will support these initiatives, with full Council approval pending on February 12.
- Remaining Visitor Levy revenue spending to be debated in February across Finance and Resources, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, and Culture & Communities committees.
- Funds split as 55% City Operations and Infrastructure, 35% Culture, Heritage, and Events, 10% Destination and Visitor Management.
Edinburgh (Edinburgh Daily News) January 31, 2026 – City councillors have advanced proposals for a £41.1 million investment package drawn from Edinburgh Visitor Levy revenue, targeting key infrastructure improvements over the next three years.
The City Operations and Infrastructure fund forms a major portion of the levy proceeds, with discussions held at a meeting on Thursday awaiting final approval from the full Council on 12 February.
What Progress Has Been Made on the Visitor Levy?
According to The NEN – North Edinburgh News, the proposals outline spending across diverse projects including capital borrowing support for the George Street and First New Town project, a masterplan for Portobello Promenade, upgrades and replacements for bins, acceleration of the setted streets programme, and enhancements to public toilets for better accessibility.
As reported by The NEN – North Edinburgh News, these initiatives aim to leverage the levy for both immediate actions like increased waste and cleansing patrols and long-term strategic developments.
How Will the Visitor Levy Revenue Be Allocated?
The NEN – North Edinburgh News reports that remaining funds will be debated at executive committees throughout February, covering All Programmes at the Finance and Resources Committee, Destination and Visitor Management at the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, and Culture, Heritage and Events plus specific City Operations elements at the Culture & Communities Committee.
What Opportunities Does This Present for Edinburgh?
The NEN – North Edinburgh News quotes a councillor stating:
“From short term measures such as increasing the amount of waste and cleansing patrols, alongside long-term strategic projects such as George Street and First New Town, the opportunities which the Visitor Levy could provide for our city cannot be understated. We’ve long debated the many things that we’d like to do as a city. We now have the chance to make these a reality, which is something that we should seize with both hands.”
What Are the Next Steps for Approval?
Final decisions on the £41.1m package and broader levy allocations rest with the full Council meeting on 12 February, following committee reviews.
The Visitor Levy revenue distribution underscores Edinburgh’s commitment to enhancing city operations, culture, and visitor management through targeted investments.
