The design of a 拢35 million upgrade of one of Edinburgh鈥檚 key streets has been approved by city councillors despite misgivings from opposition parties about the cost and lack of funding. A council committee agreed on Thursday to continue work on the scheme to remove parking and most traffic from George Street in the centre of the New Town, with construction scheduled to start in two years鈥 time and finish in 2030. However, a Conservative councillor said the lack of secured funding for the project was the 鈥渆lephant in the room鈥 and called for the existing street layout be properly maintained instead, using parking charge income. The council plans to pay for the scheme using external funding, such as from the city鈥檚 visitor levy which starts next year, and developers鈥 contributions. Officials said it was unusual for funding for such projects to be in place before they received final approval. City centre Conservative councillor Joanna Mowat said: 鈥淲e have been talking about George Street for nearly 11 years. The elephant in the room is that we still don鈥檛 have any money and are reliant on applying to third parties and having this money granted to us before we can put a single shovel in the ground. 鈥淎ll we have is a lot of very expensively-sourced designs, which are very pretty on the page, but without that money are no closer to being completed. 鈥淓veryone is heartily fed up, because those people who live and work on George Street and are running businesses would just like to see something get done.鈥 Ms Mowat proposed instead that the 拢3.2m annual parking revenue from the street be used to pay for the 拢10.5m 鈥渕aintenance鈥 option in the plans to bring it up to an acceptable standard. She told the transport and environment committee: 鈥淲e should be realistic. That鈥檚 what we can afford.鈥 Liberal Democrat councillor Hal Osler said: 鈥淲e are deeply concerned about the level of funding鈥, and questioned whether it was worth spending 拢35m on the scheme. SNP councillor Neil Gardiner said all the upgrade options should be retained until funding was clearer. But Jamie Robertson, the council鈥檚 strategic transport planning and delivery manager, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite rare to have funding in advance of obtaining statutory consent, and we are in the development pipeline with George Street. 鈥淚 totally hear the noise around 鈥榶ou do not have funding for this project鈥, but we are not unique in this. If you ask me the same question in six months鈥 time, I鈥檓 pretty sure I鈥檒l have much more clarity.鈥 Subscribe today to the Scotsman鈥檚 Transport newsletter Mr Robertson said progressing the full scheme increased the likelihood of securing external funding. Stephen Jenkinson, tje committee鈥檚 Labour convener, said: The project is rooted in making the area safer, more sustainable and accessible for all. 鈥淭his is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh鈥檚 most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features. 鈥淭he wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination. We鈥檙e on our way to delivering a bold new vision for George Street and our city centre.鈥 Mr Jenkinson said last week he expected the cost of the plans to fall further after 鈥渕ore detailed and accurate costings鈥 had seen the price tag reduced from 拢39.5m last September. He said a further reduction was anticipated from the bill for moving underground pipes and cables shrinking as utility companies had produced high estimates for such work elsewhere in the city.