Edinburgh Festival leaders have criticised a decision by the city’s council to postpone a discussion on how the festivals might benefit from the new tourist tax that has been introduced in the city.

Representatives from the Edinburgh Fringe Society and Edinburgh International Book Festival planned to tell the council’s culture committee this week that the city’s new tourist tax – which went into force last month and is officially called the ‘visitor levy’ – will cost the organisations, promoters and performers who together stage Edinburgh’s various festivals £1.1 million a year.

Therefore, it’s argued, it’s vital that a “proportionate share” of levy income is reinvested into the festivals and Edinburgh’s cultural infrastructure, on which a significant portion of the city’s visitor economy relies.

The council is currently proposing a 5% uplift on existing festival funding – which equates to around £75,000 for the Fringe and £50,000 for the Book Festival – a proposal that the Fringe Society has described as “woefully inadequate”.

Tony Lankester from the Fringe Society and Jenny Niven from the Book Festival were expecting to make the case for more festival support at a culture committee meeting earlier today, but the discussion was postponed because relevant paperwork provided by council officials was delivered a couple of hours late.

Lankester told The Herald that that late paperwork excuse was “farcical”, and that it felt like “a loophole is being used to shut down discussion”. Given the festivals are happening right now, and he and Niven were ready to discuss festival funding, it “felt tone deaf” of the council to say “we are not talking about the festivals just now”.

According to The Edinburgh Reporter, it’s understood a separate council meeting is now being planned to discuss festival funding on 28 Aug.