Background to the Scheme’s Detailed Design
The design of the Scheme is being advance in stages, which is an appropriate way to advance the design of a major, and complex, civil engineering project. The approach adopted by the project team has been developed by East Lothian Council, and specifically by the Scheme’s Project Board who provide oversight of and authority for the project team. It has been developed further to the:
- The requirements of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 (the FRM) and its Regulations;
- And thereby the requirements for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as defined within the FRM’s Regulations;
- The Scottish Governments guidance on advancing a flood protection scheme;
- The requirements of other relevant legislation – e.g. The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011, and / or The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 etc.
- The Scheme’s Project Objectives, and specifically the Council’s aspiration to advance the design in consultation with the people of Musselburgh; and
- The experience of other major flood protection scheme’s.
This list is not considered to be exhaustive, and is provide only to illustrate the complexity of the many legislative and process inputs into the development of the design and thereafter the achievement of the authority necessary to deliver a flood protection scheme.
The Scheme is being advanced under the PRINCE2 Project Management System. This sees the project set-up as discrete stages with each following on from the last, and with a gateway review between each stage. The objective of this approach is: to ensure that the Business Case for the project remains valid; review authority and objective at each stage review; and ultimately to minimise the risk of wasting project / public money.
Why is the Detailed Design not yet done?
The Detailed Design of the Scheme will only be undertaken after the Scheme is approved under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. This approval is not yet achieved, and will not commence until the ongoing Outline Design is finalised and approved by East Lothian Council at a full Council meeting.
For your clarity:
- The Outline Design is a level of design that is appropriate for Scheme approval. This may be considered to be similar to the level of design that would be required for a Planning Application. It will determine the form, location, level and style of finish. It is not a ‘detailed’ level of design that would allow the project be constructed. For more information on this stage of the project please look at our Outline Design page.
- The Detailed Design is far more detailed that the Outline Design and is further to full engineering design of the product. The output of this stage will be Construction Stage Drawings and a full Specification. These will then be used to allow prospective contractor’s price the works via a Formal Tendering process, and thereafter allow the product to the constructed. This level of design cannot be undertaken before the Scheme is formally approved as the Scheme design can continue to evolve right up to this point.
Can you become involved in the Detailed Design?
Once the Scheme is approved, and authority is provided by the Scheme’s Project Board, the project team will commence Project Stage 6 – Detailed Design.
The specific approach to advancing this stage will only be confirmed immediately prior to the stage commencing, however it can be reasonably assumed that the project team will continue to advance the design with the people of Musselburgh and its key stakeholders. We assume we will therefore continue with our Regulatory and Local Area Consultation Groups – so you can continue to assist us in tailoring both the Detailed Design, and also at that point our emergent Construction Plans.
More information will be provide on the approach to the Detailed Design once the Scheme Approval is underway.