The outline design of the £42m Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme is set to commence with the completion of preparatory works, the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the development of a suite of new communication tools.

East Lothian Council first approved the scheme in January 2020. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, technical and environmental surveying work has progressed within the town over the past year.

This will be advanced by the project team through a consultative framework with statutory stakeholders, partner organisations, local stakeholders, community groups and the people of Musselburgh.

In the early summer the Scheme recommenced meetings of its Working Groups. These groups bring together the project team with officers from multiple partner organisations who have a regulatory role to undertake. Thus far the Planning, Heritage & Landscape Working Group and the Roads, Structures & Access Working Group have met to review the approach to be taken to the Outline Design. In the coming months the Watercourse Impact Working Group and Public Utility Working Group will also meet.

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In parallel to the Working Groups the project team will run a number of local area consultation groups. To start with it is intended to have six groups for defined areas in the town. These areas have been identified as containing the properties / people who may be most directly affected by the proposed new flood defences. Each area will look at the existing infrastructure and local issues and thereby evolve the design in that area.

Attendance at any given group is not limited to people from that area, however the wider town will be engaged in due course via Public Exhibitions. It is currently planned that the next Public Exhibition will be held in the spring of 2022 in The Brunton.

The project team has started to hand-deliver a letter of invitation to each property in these areas which also aims to establish contact in person (in a socially-distant COVID-19 safe-way) with the residents of these properties.

Environment spokesperson, Cllr Norman Hampshire, said: "The past year has been challenging for everyone as we have adapted to restrictions and new ways of working. Despite this, the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme has been able to make valuable progress thanks to the hard work of our partners and the great team we have at East Lothian Council. As we now get back to the new 'normal' we are delighted to make good on our commitment to engaging with the people of Musselburgh as we continue to progress the Scheme."

Project Manager, Conor Price, said: "It is hugely important to us that the people of Musselburgh become involved in the design process. This project will deliver flood protection against major flood events from both the River Esk and the Firth of Forth (i.e. the sea). This Scheme is Musselburgh's Scheme. The project team is here to deliver this project, but we would like to achieve the best possible Scheme for Musselburgh and we cannot do that without the public's involvement. We hope these new Local Area Consultation Groups will allow us to reach into the heart of the communities and thus facilitate the engaged discussions that are so essential."