Thursday October 8th 2026
Artists impression shows walls and embankments which will be built as part of the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (image courtesy of ELC)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
A former Musselburgh councillor today said barriers planned as part of a £103million flood protection scheme in the town would be almost as high as the Berlin Wall.
Fraser McAllister told a Scottish Government public inquiry into the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme that images showing the proposed walls coming up to people’s shoulders were ‘disingenuous’.
And he said they would become a magnet for graffiti, like the German structure, changing the entire character of the historic town.
He told the inquiry: “They will be just one metre short of the Berlin Wall and will be covered with graffiti on both sides.”
Mr McAllister, who was elected as a councillor for Musselburgh West in 2012, told the inquiry that more nature based alternative such as levees used along the Mississippi in the United States should be considered.
And he said references to the worst flood to hit Musselburgh in modern times, which happened in 1948, did not mention the town had been in the midst of one of its worst winters with much of the water coming from snowmelt, saying: “We will never see Musselburgh under so much snow again.”
The public inquiry into the MFPS was sparked after East Lothian Councillors approved the scheme which had received more than 500 unresolved objections.
Initial hearings this week have been set up to help the Reporter decide areas which need further investigation at future hearings due to be held next month and are being held at Eskmills Venue in the town.
Earlier today Dr Dina Aitken told the hearing the number of homes and businesses predicted to be at risk from floodiing in Musselburgh has varied by 2,000 properties depending on the reports read.
Dr Aitken, said some reports had identified the number at risk as low as 900 while others put them beyond 3,000.
She urged the Scottish Government Reporter to look into the differing predictions as she called for ‘real time evidence’ to prove the impact of such an even
And she said it was impossible to build a picture of the real impact with data she described as “flexible and malleable”.
Representatives of the scheme said maps produced showing the potential properties at risk were based on different models, some including both a breach of the River Esk and Tidal impact from the coast, others including climate change.
Reporter Paul Cackette acknowledged there was a ‘wide discrepancy’ in the numbers saying he would be looking into all the reports as part of future investigations.
James Findlay, KC, for the council objected to one objector’s suggestion there was ‘deliberate misinformation’ from the local authority in relation to the scheme’s impact as he once again asked those against the scheme for “courtesy and respect”.
One of the subjects at the core of objections to the scheme has been whether community consultation was carried out as extensively as it should have been and public voices heard.
Former Musselburgh councillor Margaret McKay told the morning hearing that the fact it had come to a public inquiry was a “tragedy”.
She said: “Having listened to these hearings it is clear there is a huge amount of knowledge and experience which has been freely available in the community which could have been brought in and used to help residents get behind a scheme.
“It is a tragedy we are in this position where there is so much experience here that could have been recognised and used from day one.”
The hearing continues.
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