Top Ten Edinburgh Issues

The Trams
Plans for Edinburgh's tram system were introduced in 2002 and have been a talking point ever since. Questions abound about whether it will be worth the estimated £700 million cost, when – if ever – it will actually be built and how the residents will manage when the chaos of construction eventually begins.

The Skate Park
When the Council announced plans for a world-class skate park in 2002, city skaters and bikers were ecstatic, however, other Edinburgers were less so. For the moment Inverleith Park is the chosen spot, but as many residents campaign bitterly against it, the skaters' dream is far from becoming a reality.

Building Protests
Edinburgh currently appears a little Sim City-esque – constantly under construction. Locals and heritage groups are angry over unsympathetic Old Town development proposals, the much-talked of regeneration of the Waterfront seems to have stalled while Morningside residents are protesting plans for 100 new homes: The city is in uproar!

Polish Immigration
Edinburgh has welcomed many new Eastern European residents - 20,000 from Poland, ever since they joined the EU in 2004. For some the welcome has been more guarded, the usual worries arise regarding loss of jobs and housing to interlopers, but the Polish community is flourishing, with Polish delis, bars and clubs opening.

Edinburgh Institutions
With the Cameo – Scotland's second oldest cinema – now on the market the city looks like it will soon lose a much-loved institution. Only the Filmhouse will remain to offer an alternative to the mainstream. Recently it was announced that the concert venue the Queen's Hall could lose Council funding in three years, another possible loss to the capital's arts scene.

Knife Crime
Lately, the police in Edinburgh have used tough new guidelines – which mean that anyone caught with a knife in public faces automatic arrest and jail time – as part of their knife amnesty. Over 1,000 offensive weapons were handed in over a five-week period, while police arrested 75 offenders. This response has been due to knife crime rising significantly in Scotland where four people are treated everyday for knife wounds.

The Smoking Ban
Fears that the smoking ban would lead to dwindling profits for pubs have been unfounded. In fact the ban has been hailed a success in most quarters. The problem now is the mess and noise caused by smokers congregating outside certain pubs and arguments over whether measures taken by some premises – such as canopies – should be allowed.

Strip Laws
Edinburgh's popularity as a stag do destination could be hampered by a proposed new law that will stop city strippers exposing more than their breasts. Strip bar owners fear such moves could spell an end to their activities while Peter Stringfellow is apparently now reconsidering whether to open a club here. The argument is simple: to bare or not to bare?

Underage Drinking
In Scotland the number of underage drinkers convicted has doubled in the past five years, and the nation is worried. Over the summer the police worked to tackle the problem by collecting hundreds of litres of alcohol from underage drinkers in favourite gathering spots such as the Meadows. An alcohol action plan is due to be released by the Scottish Executive later this year.

House Prices
As house prices in the city rise, first-time buyers are struggling to gain a foothold on the property ladder. Affordable housing is becoming harder and harder to come by and, as protests against certain developments mount, the situation is likely to continue.