Background to the Scheme
In 2009 the ‘new’ Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 (the FRM) received royal ascent and superseded the ‘old’ Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. One of the many important achievements of this legislation was to recognise that we cannot prevent flooding; rather we need to manage the flood risk. It also set out the framework through which flood risk in Scotland would be quantified, managed, and reduced in a coordinated way at a Scottish scale.
Flood risk to Musselburgh, and more particularly flood risk reduction in Musselburgh, did not however commence with this new legislation. Flood risk has always existed on flood plains, and Musselburgh has been built on the flood plain of both the River Esk and, separately and overlapping, the Firth of Forth.
There is no detailed record of flood events prior to the late 19th century, however town records identify significant flood events in the town back through the centuries. Many aspects of the town’s built environment will have evolved through the years in response to the known flood risk or as a reaction to damage incurred by a given event. Bridges have been washed away, with specific examples being a footbridge at Shirehaugh in 1927 and at Goosegreen (then named the Jubilee Footbridge) in 1948 – they have then either been relocated or built back better.
Just as there have been floods there have also been human interventions to reduce the impact of such floods down the years. After the major flood event of 1948, the River Esk was provided with its current ‘training’ or edge walls from the Rennie Bridge down to Goosegreen. This process of formalising the edges and thereby channelization of the river was continued from the Goosegreen Footbridge out to sea when Goosegreen was developed as a housing estate. In years past the river was also periodically dredged to remove built-up material and thus clear-out the engineered / channelised river corridor through the town. Upstream of the town, the provision of multiple reservoirs in the catchment by the Victorians in the late 19th century provided both water supply and river level management at a catchment scale.
The current proposal for a flood protection scheme has its origin in the FRM, however the need is also now very much linked to the worsening future risk now understood as almost certain due to climate change.
Why advance a flood protection scheme under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009
Since the introduction of the FRM, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has been developing a national strategy to reduce flood risk. This includes identifying flood risk, prioritising vulnerable areas, setting objectives and actions to reduce flood risk, factoring in climate change projections, and working in partnership with Local Authorities and Scottish Water to develop flood risk management strategies and plans.
Musselburgh is part of the Forth Estuary Local Plan District (LPD). The Local Flood Risk Management Plan (Forth Estuary area) for this area has been developed in partnership by SEPA, Scottish Water and the eleven local authorities that surround the estuary.
SEPA identified Musselburgh as a Potentially Vulnerable Area (PVA) which means that East Lothian Council has a legal obligation to take action to reduce the flood risk. SEPA’s report recommended, among other actions, a flood protection scheme for Musselburgh, which was ranked 11th highest priority of 42 on cycle one of the national programme. To read SEPA’s full 2015 report click here.
When did East Lothian Council authorise the commencement of this Scheme?
East Lothian Council were a partner to the development of the Local Flood Risk Management Plan (Forth Estuary area) that identified the requirement of a flood protection scheme for Musselburgh. All Local Authorities in this area approved that plan, including East Lothian Council at a meeting of its Cabinet in May 2016.
During Stage 1 (Establishment of the Project) and as one part of its PRINCE2 Project Management System, the project team developed a ‘Project Mandate’ report which was approved by the Project Board. This report maps out the origin of and authorisation for the Scheme, and translates them into the project for advancement under the authority of a Project Board on behalf of East Lothian Council. To view that report please click here.
When did the project to advance the Scheme commence?
The project commenced during the summer of 2016 after East Lothian Council approved the Local Flood Risk Management Plan (Forth Estuary area). For more information on the project and its stages please look at the website’s The Project Page.