From Ed Sheeran to Sheryl Crow to Rod Stewart, the list of famous musicians who began their career strumming songs on city streets is endless. Busker-turned-actor Glen Hansard even won an Oscar for his performance as a Dublin street performer in 2007 romcom Once, and just last year camcorder footage surfaced of The Clash busking in Edinburgh during their celebrated 1985 busking tour.

But not everyone likes hearing Yellow or Wonderwall belted out by musicians of variable ability as they sip flat whites in pavement cafés. That’s especially true in Edinburgh, where buskers have been a pressing issue for many years.

Now, as the Festival approaches and the capital once again prepares for the annual deluge of noise, sound, colour and, yes, Oasis covers, City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) is launching a consultation to determine the extent of the nuisance caused by buskers. It follows a report published in December widely seen as anticipating a crackdown, and comes in the wake of a 2019 motion aimed at tackling the issue of amplified noise in the city.

“Edinburgh has always been a vibrant and colourful city and entertainers add great character to our streets, particularly during the August festivals,” said Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker, announcing the consultation. “The capital welcomes buskers and street entertainers who liven up the city and who follow the Council’s advice to do so, to be good neighbours and keep noise levels to a reasonable level.

“However, we also recognise that there is negative noise impact by the overamplification of sound by some buskers and street entertainers in public spaces, particularly in the city centre.”

The aim of the survey is “to allow both the performers and those nearby who may be impacted to coexist,” she said.

She added: “We want to hear as wide a range of views as possible as we consider whether to take the next step and enact a byelaw.”

Buskers in Edinburgh do not currently require a licence, but guidelines state they should only operate between 9am and 9pm and should play at a “considerate volume”, deemed to be one at which passers-by can hear but nearby businesses and residents aren’t disturbed. They should not station themselves near doorways or cash points, be more than 50 metres from another busker, and move spots – known as ‘pitches’ – every hour.

Buskers should also stop playing if a complaint is made or if requested to do so by an officer of the police or the council, at the risk of having their instruments and equipment seized under section 54 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. Police officers can also issue Fixed Penalty Notices, a recourse not currently available to council officers.

Guidelines in Glasgow are similar, with the added request that buskers be aware certain places such as hospitals, churches, funeral homes, cemeteries and transport terminals where announcements need to be heard require silence and are not suitable for busking.

The Herald: How it used to be ... a busker on Argyle Street in Glasgow, 1983How it used to be ... a busker on Argyle Street in Glasgow, 1983 (Image: The Herald)

The survey asks for responses from any Edinburgh resident or business “directly affected” by busking to the extent that noise can be heard from their home or place of work, or when they are going about their “normal business”.

It asks respondents to state where and when they have heard buskers in the last year, whether they have ever had cause to complain about buskers, or if they have been bothered by them performing outwith their designated hours.

It also gives respondents the opportunity to agree or disagree with statements such as: “[B]uskers liven up our city”, “Buskers should be able to use Edinburgh’s streets for fun”, “Buskers should be able to use Edinburgh’s streets to make money” and “Buskers should be able to use Edinburgh’s streets to develop audiences, hone skills and try out new material.”

As CEC has previously noted: “Noise from busking and street entertainment has been a significant concern for some of the city’s residents for some time.” A motion relating to the problems caused by buskers and the lack of powers to deal with them was approved by CEC in August 2019 but failed to bring forward any proposals.

A similar motion was raised by Councillor Neil Ross in October 2021, citing deputations from the Grassmarket Residents Association and the New Town and Broughton Community Council.

The motion noted “the negative auditory impact of overamplification of sound by some buskers and street entertainers in public spaces”, stated that noise levels “at or above 85 decibels can damage hearing or inflict pain on the hearer” and asked that “additional powers” be considered to control buskers.

The window for submissions closes on August 31, three days after the end of the Edinburgh Festival. Along with feedback from CEC’s Busking Working Group, the results and the evidence gathered will be reported back to the Committee in October.

Edinburgh isn’t the only British city where buskers are seen as a problem. In 2019 the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea introduced a public space protection order (PSPO) which made busking prosecutable in specific areas. By then Nottingham already had one covering the city centre, Birmingham enacted one in August 2022, and last month Bury Council in Lancashire used a PSPO to lay down a blanket ban on busking in the town centre.