Public Consultation
Public consultation is integral to the development of Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme. The Scottish Government actively encourages public engagement in decision making at all scales, and has enshrined this in the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009.
Since the start of the Project to deliver the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme in 2016, the Project Team have engaged widely with members of the public, residents’ associations, community groups, businesses, other Council departments and statutory stakeholders. The contributions of these parties have already influenced the development of the Scheme to the Outline Design stage which it is currently in.
As the Scheme develops through the Outline Design stage, we will continue to encourage and facilitate public consultation. After each event, the Project Team will update these pages to provide a record of the ongoing consultative process and so that those who couldn’t attend can access the resources from the events.
What is the Scheme’s approach to consultation?
The Scheme is taking a holistic approach to Public Consultation, engaging with the stakeholders extensively, regularly, and by various means.
Whole town consultations
The most significant consultation exercises are the whole-town public events specific to the the Scheme, held either in person or virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. Click the links below to find out more about the events that have been hosted so far:
Local Area Consultations
Throughout Autumn 2021 the Project Team also undertook a series of seven Local Area Consultations. These events targeted residents living in the closest proximity to any potential flood defences and who would therefore be most directly impacted by the Scheme and its construction.
The six areas originally defined were:
- Edinburgh Road Area
- Mountjoy Area
- Fisherrow Area
- Goosegreen Area
- Esksides Area
- Eskmills Area
In response to local demand, the Project Team added a seventh area for Inveresk residents.
Members of the Project Team visited over 1000 properties in person to encourage the residents to attend the consultations. Whilst delivering the invitations, they engaged in over 300 ‘doorway discussions’ about the flood protection scheme, local experiences of flooding and pertinent issues and opportunities.
Whilst the residents living in the closest proximity to the Scheme’s footprint were directly invited, the evenings were open to anyone who wished to join, and several members of the public attended multiple evenings. To encourage participation, the events were advertised in the Musselburgh Courier, on East Lothian Council’s website, via the Scheme’s mailing list and through our Public Notice Boards across town.
Below you can find an overview of the consultation areas for this first round of consultations, follow the links to each area to find out more and access the resources from the events.
Map of the Consultation Areas
Presentations to community groups and organisations
The Scheme has been providing regular updates to members of the public by way of presentations to community groups and organisations. These have included:
- Musselburgh & Inveresk Community Council
- Musselburgh Conservation Society
- Inveresk Village Society
- Fisherrow Harbour & Seafront Association
- Esk River Improvement Group
- Buccleuch Estates & Dalkeith Country Park
- Eskmills Business Park
Whilst some of these events are for members only, many are open to the public. If your organisation would be interested in arranging a presentation from the Scheme, please Contact Us.
Regular updates
Finally, the Scheme seeks to provide regular updates to all stakeholders to ensure they are aware of how the Scheme is progressing. These are achieved through various channels including:
- The Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme website
- The Musselburgh Courier newspaper
- The Scheme’s seven public notice boards throughout the town
- Press Releases
- Our email mailing list
- A regular Scheme Newsletter (from March 2022)
If you would like to register for updates from the Scheme, please Contact Us.