Greens call for additional public consultation on Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme
East Lothian Greens are calling on the Council to arrange an additional public consultation event on the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (MFPS) on the specific theme of nature-based solutions.
The call comes as a petition has been launched which asks East Lothian Council to pause the flood scheme altogether, in order to more fully asses the possibilities for nature-based solutions (NBS) upstream.
Shona McIntosh, Green Councillor for Musselburgh, comments:
"The Project Team on the Flood Protection Scheme have done a huge amount of work investigating possibilities for upstream interventions to reduce the flood risk to Musselburgh. However, I know many people have reservations and am clear that more must be done to address these concerns. Much of this work, being done by the Project team as part of the Scheme, has perhaps not been publicised, and more could be done to work together with the community on this.
"Therefore, an interactive consultation open to the broader town (not just residents of particular areas) would help to communicate the work that has been done and the possibilities still being explored, as well as gathering ideas and feedback. It could also be a chance for all residents to find out more about the fantastic River Restoration project planned within Musselburgh itself."
The incorporation of the River Restoration project into the scheme was approved by Council last August. It means that proposals for river defences are now being approached through the lens of improving the ecology of the river - in particular by removing the existing engineered training walls to make more space for water and nature, improving fish and eel passage on the weirs, and setting back any built defences to leave room for riparian planting. Several areas have also been identified for habitat improvement and the creation of temporary flood storage, including the field known as 'The Valley' on the east bank beside Eskmills Weir.
East Lothian Greens will continue to work with East Lothian Council to ensure NBS are given due importance at all stages in the progress of the Scheme. We hope that a specific consultation event to address these themes can empower Musselburgh residents with more knowledge of the plans, ahead of the public exhibition in June.