People in Musselburgh are being consulted on the town's preferred £42 million flood protection scheme at meetings in The Brunton this week.

When will the consultation meetings take place?

There will be a local area consultation meeting on proposed River Esk defences, bringing together the previously consulted groups in Goosegreen, Esksides, Eskmills and Inveresk areas, tomorrow, Tuesday, February 8, from 6pm-9.30pm in Venue One.

Another meeting to discuss proposed coastal defences will be held on Wednesday, February 9, in Venue Two from 6pm-9.30pm. This local area consultation, involving groups in the Edinburgh Road, Fisherrow, Promenade and Moutjoy areas, will look at proposed approach to coastal defences along the foreshore from the mouth of the River Esk to the Magdalene Bridge on the Brunstane Burn.

From 6pm-7pm there is the chance to view information boards and speak to members of the flood protection team. A project update and question and answer session will be held from 7pm-7.45pm. From 7.45pm-9pm, breakout working groups will be focussed on the key themes of replacement bridges, natural solutions, pathways and access and forms of possible defences. There will be a summary of the session and the scheme's next steps from 9pm-9.30pm.

What happens next?

The whole town will then be consulted at a meeting at The Brunton on March 8. It is intended that this event will summarise this whole phase of consultation and identify the next steps for the project.

What is the flood protection scheme?

The flood protection scheme aims to introduce defences against a one-in-200-year risk of flooding in the town.

Who is at risk of flooding in the Musselburgh area?

Around 2,500 properties are at risk of the major flood event that the scheme is working to protect against. This includes: the whole of the High Street and the Eskmills Business Park area; the Musselburgh Racecourse; Fisherrow Harbour; significant parts of Loretto School and its grounds; the A199; the town’s two road bridges and all of its footbridges; along with residential properties and businesses.

Where can I find more information?

Finalised flood maps can be viewed on the scheme's website at www.musselburghfloodprotection.com and the project team will also present the maps and a 2D animation of the flood events during the events at The Brunton this week.