Public inquiry to rule on 'concrete versus nature' flood defences controversy
Plus: Two in court over city firebombings; whale and dolphin sightings; and Scotland's oldest coin
Scottish Ministers to rule on controversial £54 million flood defence scheme at Musselburgh
The Scottish Government has ordered a local public inquiry into a controversial £54 million flood defence scheme planned for Musselburgh.
The move will give campaigners another chance to make the case against East Lothian Council’s proposals which they argue are over-engineered and would spoil the natural beauty of the River Esk.
The planned works involve building concrete walls along the riverbank, up to 6ft high in places, with protesters saying similar protection could be offered by alternative, nature-based measures.
The Musselburgh scheme is seen as a national test case for concrete-based flood defence schemes versus natural alternatives such as creating new flood plains.
East Lothian Council had asked the Scottish Government to order a public inquiry after spending months trying to resolve almost 500 objections from protesters by negotiation.
Sixfold cost increase: The ‘over-engineered’ aspect is not the only controversy surrounding the project. The estimated cost has soared from under £9 million in 2016 to almost £54 million.
Too far apart: The council has long argued only a heavily engineered defence scheme can protect against extreme flooding such as that experienced in Musselburgh in 1948. Such events are, of course, statistically more likely today due to the effects of global warming. Objectors, including former Scottish Natural Heritage chief executive Roger Crofts, point to nature-based schemes elsewhere in the UK as a viable alternative. The council concluded their scheme and the objectors’ proposals were too far apart to make a modified compromise plan a realistic possibility.
Another chance for objectors: Councillor Norman Hampshire, leader of East Lothian Council, said he was pleased Scottish Ministers had agreed to stage a public inquiry. “It will give anyone with an objection to the current proposals the opportunity to express their concerns before Ministers make their decision,” he said.
What happens next? The Scottish Government will appoint a Planning Reporter who will then organise a public hearing at which objectors and the council will present their cases. After that, the Reporter will decide whether to give the scheme the go-ahead or order the council back to the drawing board. There is no clear timeline yet, but it is not unusual for public inquiries to take years rather than months to reach a conclusion.
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
WHALES AND DOLPHINS: A humpback whale breaching off the coast near Kinghorn and dolphins flipping fish in the air close to the shore in East Lothian are among the spectacular wildlife sightings reported in the Firth of Forth in recent days.
CAPITAL’S COLONIAL PAST: The city council has been awarded almost £240,000 by the National Lottery to develop work aimed at addressing the city’s history of colonialism. The grant will help fund projects suggested by a council-appointed group, led by the late Sir Geoff Palmer, which examined the Capital’s links to the slave trade and their legacy. Its recommendations include piloting anti-racist learning resources for schools; a digital campaign around Unesco’s Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Abolition; and hosting a Decolonising Edinburgh conference.
FIREBOMBER IN COURT: A man has admitted firebombing a beauty salon and . garage as part of the gangland violence which flared in Edinburgh earlier this year. Logan Carlin, 24, of Bruntsfield, was caught after his DNA was found at the Belle Cheveux beauty parlour in Albert Street, Leith, in March, the High Court in Edinburgh heard. The salon is part-owned by the partner of a “prominent” crime gang leader. Carlin, who also attacked DB Auto Services, in Milton Street, Abbeyhill, will be sentenced in the New Year.
63RD GANGLAND ARREST: The number of arrests made by police investigating the organised crime gang violence in Edinburgh and Glasgow has reached 63. The latest arrest has seen 31-year-old John Moore, of North Lanarkshire, charged with attempted murder in connection with three firebombing attacks, on Niddrie Marischal Crescent, Pitcairn Grove and Prestonfield Crescent, in April.
LIFEBOAT VOLUNTEER TRIBUTES: Tributes have been paid to a “selfless” volunteer at Dunbar Lifeboat Station who died shortly before Christmas aged 34. Kerry Gentle, who ran her own tattoo studio in East Linton, was a volunteer member of the station’s shore team and in training to join the lifeboat crew. Volunteers and staff at the station said they were “deeply shocked and saddened” by her death. An appeal to support her family has raised more than £20,000.
OLDEST COIN: The earliest known coin minted in Scotland has been acquired by the National Museums Scotland (NMS) after its discovery in woods near Penicuik. The coin, dating from the reign of King David I (1124-1153), is thought to have been dropped in medieval times. It has been allocated to NMS after its discovery by a metal detectorist in 2023, who received a finder’s fee of £15,000. The coin will be the subject of research and may go on display in future.
BIRD FLU ALERT: Avian influenza restrictions have been put in place in Midlothian and the Borders following an outbreak at a farm in Leadburn, near West Linton. Bird keepers are being advised to remain vigilant and follow biosecurity measures until further notice.
POLICE QUIT: Almost 550 officers have quit Police Scotland after less than five years - with figures for the period 2021 to 2025 obtained by Scottish Labour under Freedom of Information also showing that more than 200 officers resigned after serving less than one year.
VEGAN FEST: The 2026 Edinburgh Vegan Festival is to take place on Saturday 16 May at Edinburgh College (Granton Campus) in West Granton Road, from 10.30am to 4.30pm. The 80 stalls will feature plant-based foods and drinks, cruelty-free beauty, skincare, home wares and gifts, and talks, demonstrations, workshops and information on a vegan lifestyle.
Pic of the week
THE BUSINESS
City council to outline priorities for economy in 2026
Local authority plans to meet the evolving needs of Edinburgh’s business environment are to be outlined at an event early in the New Year.
Edinburgh Chamber’s booked out “Developing Edinburgh” annual briefing will see City council leader Jane Meagher and Chief Executive Paul Lawrence offer an insight into their priorities for the upcoming year to local businesses.
The event, sponsored by Bank of Scotland, will include transport and infrastructure updates, construction and development plans, along with a review of the city’s economic strengths and challenges.
The session will explore how the Council plans to meet the city’s evolving economic needs, with a focus on sustainable growth, fostering innovation, and reinforcing Edinburgh’s position as a leading business and cultural hub.
HELP ON RATES: A group of Scotland’s business organisations – FSB Scotland, IoD Scotland, Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Scottish Financial Enterprise, CBI Scotland and Prosper - have jointly written to Finance Secretary, Shona Robison, urging her to take steps to mitigate the impact of the latest draft non-domestic rates revaluations. Growing numbers of businesses across the country are raising concerns about their proposed rateable values with some facing increases of up to 400% from 1 April.
Without action, the groups warn that rate rises on the scale projected will have “a further deadening effect” on the Scottish economy, hampering recruitment and investment plans.
FAST GROWTH: KFC has opened its ninth venue in Edinburgh, at Fountain Park. The opening is part of the company’s plans to open 500 new restaurants in the UK and Ireland over the next decade.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
THE BELLS: It probably hasn’t escaped your attention that there’s a packed programme of events planned for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, from tonight’s spectacular Torchlight Procession to an expanded New Year’s Day offering. The latter includes Muckle be the Light, an evening of music and chat at Portobello Town Hall, featuring Edinburgh Makar Michael Pederson, Shirley Manson, Nicola Sturgeon and Norman Blake.
TURNER PRIZE: Its soon time for one of the great artistic treats of life in Edinburgh. The National Galleries annual Turner in January exhibition opens at 10am on New Year’s Day and runs for the full month.
FUNGI FUN: Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of fungi at the Botanics. You only have until Sunday, 11 January, to catch Fungi Sessions by Edinburgh composer and musician Hannah Read. The audiovisual installation at the John Hope Gateway Gallery combines time-lapse videos and original compositions. Entry is free.
QUICK BITES
TOP MEAL: Edinburgh Michelin-starred restaurant Timberyard, on Lady Lawson Street, has been named one of the ten best meals of 2025 by experts at the Good Food Guide. The award, which is international, was the only one made to a Scottish venue.
NEW ON MENU: A renowned Leith hospitality venue is to get a taste of something new. Two of the Capital’s brightest young chefs, Hugh Brown (formerly of The Palmerston and Fin & Grape) and Finlay Colvin (formerly of Mirin), are to launch a new food offer at Nobles Bar in the New Year, championing seasonal Scottish produce from small local suppliers.