About us
The George Street Association
George Street is the principal street of Edinburgh’s First New Town which started construction in the 1770s and remains the most prestigious street in the city.
The George Street Association (GSA) was established in 1952 to promote, protect and maintain the interests of those businesses and institutions which occupy premises in George Street and the interconnecting streets of Castle, Frederick and Hanover.
George Street in 2022 has a vastly diverse mix, from places of worship to small offices to flagship headquarters, and from small boutiques to grand hotels. The GSA exists to make sure that the interests of all are heard and represented whenever change is afoot.
We believe in working collaboratively with other organisations and we therefore interact on a regular basis with Edinburgh City Council, Essential Edinburgh, the Cockburn Association, and many others. We maintain close links with all relevant parties to ensure that George Street’s interests receive their care and attention, especially through current proposed developments like the George Street and First New Town Transformation.
Get involved!
The GSA meets regularly and members are welcome to all our meetings to participate or observe. Our AGM is usually held in November and notable figures relevant to George Street’s future are invited to speak. Although social and networking events have taken a backseat due to coronavirus we will be restarting these in 2022 and they will represent a great opportunity to catch up with the lowdown on the street.
You can join the GSA through our website or by dropping us a message.
BE PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE
“The GSA is open to anyone who trades on George Street or its side-streets”
GSA Members
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Become a Member
There has never been a more important time to join your local George Street Association.
Why?
Edinburgh city centre and the businesses operating within the George Street area face an unprecedented level of threat to their success, including:
• Business recovery from COVID-19.
• A huge drop in overseas and UK visitors.
• City Council plans to redevelop George Street and Hanover Street.
• Further restrictions by the City Council over parking, loading and access for general traffic.
What is the George Street Association?
The GSA is open to anyone who trades on George Street or its side-streets. It includes the Assembly Rooms, hotels, restaurants, offices, churches, charities, banks and retailers. Our regular membership includes some of the best and brightest in Scotland and this allows us to punch above our weight. You will all be paying levies to Essential Edinburgh (EE) and they do important and critical work.
The GSA represents your specific area (at a low cost) and we can do or say things that EE sometimes can’t do so easily. We engage with local councillors, council officers and others on all the issues we believe we can influence.
You can join as an ordinary member (details below) and are welcome to attend our monthly meetings in order to get the inside track on what is happening on issues that concern you, from crime to deliveries to the redevelopment of George Street – which is looming large.
Membership sign-up
On checkout, you will be asked to provide your address and full contact details. If the billing address is different from the business address you can specify this on the checkout page.
How much?
Standard Membership
£100 per annum
£25 per annum
Current news
Giraffes About George Street!
Giraffe About Town features more than 70 sculptures that will form a free, family-friendly trail of discovery for local people and visitors to explore and enjoy until the end of August. Each...
Plans for George Street Redesign Progress
Over a number of years, GSA has been representing the interests of our members on the proposed redesign of George Street and the implementation of an operational plan for the area. The City of Edinburgh Council is investing £32m, with £20million of this investment….