TV clips and news articles
Concern as council sets aside £1m to defend controversial Musselburgh flood scheme
East Lothian Courier – 19 Aug 2026
Concern has been raised that East Lothian Council has set aside £1 million to defend the controversial Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (MFPS) at a forthcoming inquiry into the plan.
Avril Campbell
Community meeting on controversial Musselburgh flood plan
East Lothian Courier – 6 Aug 2026
Residents are being reminded of the forthcoming community engagement meeting where they can share their views about the controversial flood scheme for Musselburgh.
Avril Campbell
Musselburgh flood protection scheme: meeting for residents
East Lothian Courier – 23 Jun 2026
A community engagement meeting has been convened to give local residents the chance to share their views about a controversial flood scheme for Musselburgh.
Avril Campbell
Flood scheme objectors say walls will provide ‘giant canvas for graffiti artists’
STV News – 27 May 2026
One objector claimed graffiti artists will think ‘all their Christmases have come at once’ if the plans go ahead
Marie Sharp
Council doesn’t own seawalls included in £50m flood prevention scheme
STV News – 5 May 2026
A council’s decision to include a £50m plan to restore sea walls as part of a controversial flood protection scheme is being questioned after it was revealed they do not own the land.
Marie Sharp
Musselburgh flood scheme £6m next stage approved
Midlothian View – 28 Apr 2026
Councillors on Tuesday unanimously approved spending £6million on the next stage of planning for a controversial flood scheme which could be scrapped by Scottish Ministers by the end of the year.
Marie Sharp
Labour council ‘frittering away’ flood project funding
The National – 26 Apr 2026
A Scottish council has been slammed for proposing to “fritter away” £6 million on a scheme currently subjected to a public inquiry.
Nan Spowart
Councillors asked to green light £6m work on flood scheme despite funding blow
Midlothian View – 22 Apr 2026
East Lothian councillors are being asked to approve another £6million spending on a flood protection scheme despite it being called in by Scottish Ministers and losing funding.
Marie Sharp
Top Government lawyer to lead Musselburgh flood scheme inquiry
Edinburgh Evening News – 17 Mar 2026
A public hearing into a controversial £54 million flood scheme for Musselburgh is set to start in September with one of Scotland’s top legal advisers in charge.
Marie Sharp
Flood scheme public inquiry may last up to 24 months
East Lothian Courier – 23 Feb 2026
A pubic inquiry into the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme is likely to face delays.
Erin Brown
Delays to £54m East Lothian flood protection scheme after national funding capped
Edinburgh Evening News – 19 Feb 2026
A £54m flood protection scheme faces delays after national funding was capped, East Lothian councillors have been told.
Marie Sharp
Public inquiry into controversial £54m flood scheme for Musselburgh
The Herald – 23 Dec 2025
Scottish Ministers have confirmed they will hold a public inquiry into a controversial £54 million flood scheme for Musselburgh after councillors urged them to take control of the final decision.
Marie Sharp
Public local inquiry for proposed Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme
Scottish Housing News – 23 Dec 2025
A public local inquiry (PLI) will be held into a scheme to reduce flood risk in Musselburgh after Scottish Ministers wrote to East Lothian Council to confirm they would ‘call in’ the proposals.
Protest against controversial £50 million Musselburgh scheme
East Lothian Courier – 30 Sep 2025
Musselburgh residents staged a protest against the town’s controversial flood protection scheme ahead of a crunch East Lothian Council meeting on the plans this morning.
Anna McAlinden
Local protesters call on council to vote against ‘scandalous’ flood prevention scheme
The National – 28 Sep 2025
Objectors to a controversial £54 million flood prevention scheme have called on a Labour-controlled council to vote against the project.
Nan Spowart
Musselburgh flood scheme set to go to Scottish Ministers
STV – 24 Sep 2025
A report on the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (MFPS) will go before East Lothian councillors next week.
Marie Sharp
Urgent review following Musselburgh flood scheme data leak
East Lothian Courier – 25 Feb 2025
An urgent internal review is under way after a complaint was raised about a personal data leak on a Scottish Government website in connection with the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (MFPS).
Avril Campbell
Council apologises after objectors to flood scheme have data leaked
The National – Sun 3 Nov 2024
A Scottish council has been forced to apologise after a data breach that saw personal details of objectors to a multi-million-pound flood defence scheme being put up online.
Nan Spowart
Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme opponents offered talks
East Lothian Courier – 20 Sep 2024
Opponents of the controversial Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (MFPS) are being offered talks with East Lothian Council to explore withdrawing their objections to the plans.
Nan Spowart
Controversial flood protection scheme in coastal town prompts local protest
STV News – 9 Feb 2024
A controversial flood defence plan which has sparked local outcry has been given the go-ahead to move to the next stage.
Vanessa Kennedy
Flood protection scheme given green light despite soaring costs
STV News – 24 Jan 2024
A controversial flood protection scheme which has seen costs soar in the last 10 years has been given the go ahead to move to the next stage after a council leader warned future flooding was “almost guaranteed”.
Marie Sharp
Musselburgh flood defence scheme could be scrapped after backlash
The National – 24 Dec 2023
A petition calling for a halt to a controversial flood defence scheme is to be considered by councillors after it reached nearly 4000 signatures.
Nan Spowart
Musselburgh: Petition to halt flood scheme referred to councillors
East Lothian Courier – 20 Dec 2023
A petition calling for a £50million flood scheme to be paused amid concerns over a lack of public input will be put before East Lothian councillors next month.
Marie Sharp
Petition to halt flood scheme backed by over 3,000 people
East Lothian Courier – 18 Dec 2023
A petition calling on East Lothian Council to ‘pause and review’ a multi-million-pound flood scheme will be considered after gathering more than 3,000 signatures.
Marie Sharp
Old ways must change to stop flooding
The Times – 11 Dec 2023
Conventional engineering approaches founded on concrete walls are not working in Brechin or in many other parts of Scotland.
Roger Crofts
Concrete versus nature in the battle to hold back the floods
Edinburgh Enquirer – 9 Nov 2023
How Musselburgh has become a test bed in one of Scotland’s fiercest environmental debates
Aimee Stanton
Questions asked about major flood defence plan in Musselburgh
The National – 29 Oct 2023
A controversial multi-million-pound flood defence project opposed by hundreds of people it is intended to protect may move a step forward on Tuesday.
Nan Spowart
Scotland’s provincial flood prevention rules are not fit for purpose
The Times – 22 Oct 2023
Troubled waters flow through Musselburgh, past the banks of the River Esk, where a pair of 6ft-high walls may soon be built.
Gabriella Bennett
Concrete versus nature: holding back the floods
The Times – 23 Sep 2023
Plans for the Esk in Musselburgh are becoming a litmus test for flood protection schemes in Scotland with campaigners clashing with councils
Mike Wade
Musselburgh: Opposition to flood protection plan gathers momentum
East Lothian Courier – 22 Sep 2023
A campaign calling on East Lothian Council to “pause and review” the controversial multi-million pound Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme is gathering momentum
Avril Campbell
Letters: Over the top flood damage scheme must be paused
The Scotsman – 5 Aug 2023
The council claims objections have been listened to but insist this scheme, or a close version, is the only solution.
Jim Bell
Musselburgh: Petition calls for flood protection scheme pause
East Lothian Courier – 26 May 2023
Protestors have submitted a petition to East Lothian Council calling for an immediate pause to the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (MFPS)
Avril Campbell