OBJECTORS to a controversial £54 million flood prevention scheme have called on a Labour-controlled council to vote against the project.
If East Lothian Council does not vote against the scheme, the Scottish Government will be required to step in due to the strength of the protest against the Musselburgh Flood Prevention Scheme (MFPS) and the unresolved number of formal objections which include objections from NatureScot.
Estimated costs have skyrocketed for the project which is aimed at preventing flooding from both the coast and the River Esk which runs through the town.
Protesters want the Musselburgh plan to be paused and reviewed because of fears that high concrete walls which will be built along the River Esk and all along the seafront will scar the town’s green spaces, damage the environment and involve the felling of mature trees along the riverside.
The town’s former lord provost, five former East Lothian councillors and the former first chief executive of NatureScot are among the objectors, along with experts in climate change and architecture.
The report, which will be put before the council next week, states that after months of consultation only four objections had been withdrawn, leaving 481 “valid” objections.
More than 30 modifications to the scheme were suggested by officials to the objectors, according to the report, but were not enough to convince people to withdraw their objections.
As a result, the report recommends that the council make a preliminary decision to confirm the proposed scheme without any modifications at all.
“Given the number of objections to the scheme that have been received and the complexity of points raised therein, it has been determined that there are no modifications or combination of modifications, which would realistically result in the withdrawal of all objections,” the report states.
“As such, it is considered that a local hearing or public local inquiry is the most appropriate step to reach a democratic resolution.
“It is on this basis that it is recommended that members make the preliminary decision to confirm the proposed scheme without modifications.”
Protester Dr Jeffrey Wright said the report actually downplayed the strength of feeling against the scheme.
“There were more than 800 separate objections raised within the objection letters sent, some of them raising serious allegations around the process and community engagement undertaken,” he said.
“With Audit Scotland having recently reported that the Scottish Government’s funding for flood schemes is not fit for purpose and has led to the funding being abused, we have to hope that our councillors follow their first duty to represent the will of the people in the local community and vote down this unpopular and questionable flood scheme that will destroy green spaces that are important for the health and wellbeing of the people of Musselburgh.”
However, he said he was not optimistic the councillors would vote against the proposal which he predicts could ultimately cost over £200m.
“If it goes to the Scottish Government to decide then they should hold a full public inquiry so that all of the processes and decisions should be fully investigated,” said Dr Wright.
“It is scandalous how this project has been manipulated to raise the scale of the scheme from around £8m to something that is now likely to be over £200m – this is just what Audit Scotland recently highlighted when calling the scheme funding not fit for purpose “
