Monday November 9th 2026
Edinburgh residents invited to help decide how £1.7m Visitor Levy fund is spent
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Residents across Edinburgh are being invited to share ideas on how funding raised through the city’s Visitor Levy could be spent in their local communities.
The City of Edinburgh Council has launched Your Voice: Visitor Levy, a new initiative giving people the opportunity to suggest projects and vote on how public money is allocated in their area.
Each of the city’s 17 electoral wards will receive a share of £1.7 million over three years, with residents deciding directly how their ward’s funding should be used.
The first phase is now open, with people able to submit ideas until **December 6, 2026** through a new online portal.
The programme uses participatory budgeting, which allows communities to help decide how public funds are spent. Visitor Levy money must be reinvested in facilities and services used by visitors, but projects can also benefit people who live, work and study in Edinburgh.
The amount allocated to each ward will reflect local needs and population, with areas facing greater economic need receiving a slightly larger share.
Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said the initiative was an opportunity for people to influence investment in their neighbourhoods.
She said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to help shape how a portion of Visitor Levy funding is invested in neighbourhoods across the city. We want to hear directly from local people about what matters most in your communities – and encourage visitors to see more of the Edinburgh’s wonderful neighbourhoods beyond the city centre.
“The ideas you share now will help community groups in your area develop proposals that reflect genuine local priorities and deliver things that benefit both residents and visitors.”
Residents can suggest projects such as community art, cultural events, sporting activities, improvements to parks and public spaces, and heritage projects. These are examples rather than a restricted list, and people can put forward other ideas.
Ideas can be submitted online through the Your Voice portal. Community groups holding meetings or network events between November 9 and December 6 can also invite the Your Voice team to attend and gather suggestions by emailing yourvoice@edinburgh.gov.uk.
What happens next?
Community organisations and charities will be able to apply for funding between **January 4 and March 6, 2027**, using the ideas and priorities gathered from residents.
A public vote will then take place in May and June 2027, with residents choosing which proposals should receive funding in their ward. Successful projects are expected to be announced between June and July.
People can sign up to the Your Voice mailing list for reminders about application dates and voting deadlines. Further information is available at edinburgh.gov.uk/yourvoicevisitorlevy.
The Visitor Levy came into effect in Edinburgh in July, with agreed investment programmes worth more than £90 million over the next three years.
Under the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024, money raised must be reinvested in local facilities and services substantially used by business and leisure visitors.
Other projects supported through the levy include a £3.8 million fund for improvements to cultural and heritage buildings, a £2.62 million fund for arts and cultural organisations, support for the city’s visitor economy and funding for festival events and city-centre policing.
A full list of investment projects is available on the Council’s Visitor Levy website.
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