Questions & Answers

An initial online consultation ran for 8 weeks from 24 May 2021 to 16 July 2021. That has now closed but you can still take a look at the proposals on this website.

This consultation was a key point in the project and the responses will be critical in shaping our designs which are early concepts.

Yes, we will undertake consultation at each of the next stages of the design (developed design and technical design).

A Consultation Report was prepared after the summer 2021 online event. It has now been published on the Council’s website and the project website. Subsequently, a Gap Analysis Report was prepared that identifies gaps in the reach of the consultation and how to address them.

We have also published a report of the MFPS consultation events we attended in February and March 2022.

People who asked to be kept informed will be notified by email as reports are published.

You can view and download the reports on the Council website.

The project is being delivered by East Lothian Council in partnership with Sustrans and AECOM.

We selected Routes 1, 2 and 5 to be progressed first as they are main strategic routes in Musselburgh.

They link key attractors including the town centre and High Street, Fisherrow Harbour, schools, Musselburgh Racecourse, Wallyford Park & Ride, new development sites, Queen Margaret University and Musselburgh Railway Station.

Following feedback received and the effects of other projects, the Masterplan Addendum proposes that Route 1 is revised. Only Routes 2 and 5 are being developed to preferred Concept Design.

East Lothian Council intend to develop the remaining key routes identified in the Masterplan Addendum Report and local connecting routes in the future.

The streets included in the routes were selected based on other projects in Musselburgh, the nature and type of the street, and the location of destinations and trip attractors. We undertook detailed route appraisals to ensure we selected the best streets for the routes to follow.

It is likely that your street has not been included because another street or streets better linked the destinations and trip attractors and / or were more appropriate for siting new walking and cycling infrastructure.

No, at this stage we are developing preferred Concept Designs for two routes. These will be progressed to Developed Design and we will consult again at that stage.

This stage of the project is fully funded by the Transport Scotland Places for Everyone Fund which is delivered by Sustrans. People sometimes have concerns that new projects will take funds away from other areas of the Council where they were previously committed, but this is not the case.

No. The Places for Everyone funding that the Council was successful in obtaining has to be spent on the Musselburgh Active Toun project.

The timeline is as follows:

• Summer 2021: Stakeholder and public engagement on Concept Design options for Routes 1 West, 2 and 5.
• Late 2021/Spring 2022: Further survey work, consultation in tandem with MFPS team and development of preferred Concept Designs for routes 2 and 5.
• 2022 to 2024: Design and consultation process ongoing (Developed Design and Technical Design).
• 2024/2025: Construction begins.

Yes, the project will meet all requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

Pedestrians will benefit from new crossings including raised tables, widened pavements (at certain locations) and improved public spaces.

At locations where it is safe and appropriate to do so, raised tables are proposed to improve pedestrian movements at side-road junctions. Raised tables are raised sections of road that are ramped on each side to bring the carriageway up to the same level at the pavement; the pavement continues at the same height across the side-road. These can make crossing the road easier and give priority to pedestrians and slow the speed of vehicles. They are only appropriate and proposed in certain situations.

We are aiming to make it easier for people to move around Musselburgh and to improve pedestrian movement. It is likely that crossing the road will be made easier by the provision of improved pedestrian crossings and more informal crossing points.

A separate cycle lane, or segregated cycleway, is a cycle lane that is separated from the road by a kerb or similar and from the footway by a level difference. This allocates vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians their own space and minimises conflict between these users.

We have assessed all of the streets on the routes, looking at the best options to accommodate all road users safely.

Some streets carry high volumes of traffic and are bus routes which means they are not suitable for on-road cycling. Separate cycle lanes / segregated cycleways mean cyclists of all abilities can travel safely and comfortably.

A quiet street is a street that has low vehicle numbers and low traffic speeds, where cyclists of all levels of experience would be comfortable. A quiet street can include measures to reduce vehicle speeds and provide improvements for pedestrians. Improvements include raised tables and pavement widening.

Yes, cycle parking will be provided at key locations along the route. We would like your feedback on where those locations could be.

The existing bridges at Goose Green and the footbridge south of Olive Bank Road (Ivanhoe footbridge) are not suitable for shared use by pedestrians and cyclists.

The bridges are going to be replaced as part of the Flood Protection Scheme. We are working
closely with the Flood Protection Scheme project team to ensure that the replacement bridge(s) provide suitable connections for people walking and cycling.

Improving public spaces means making certain spaces in the town more attractive and pleasant to spend time in and travel through. This can be achieved through materials, planting, art and providing space for activities, amongst many other possibilities.

This is the first stage of the Musselburgh Active Toun project. Over time, further routes and local links to and from them will be developed to provide Musselburgh with a comprehensive network of active travel routes.

Reallocating road space to people travelling on foot or by bike will have an impact on parking at certain locations. We are attempting to retain as much parking as possible, especially where we know that this is important to local people. However, there could be changes to parking and loading on streets such as Linkfield Road and Stoneybank Terrace.

We are going to be undertaking parking and loading surveys during Spring 2022 to understand where people park and load currently, and for how long they undertake these activities for. This will help us understand what space is needed for parking and loading.

Loading will still be permitted but there may be changes to where and when loading is allowed. The specifics of this will depend on which option is taken forward as the preferred design.

We are going to be undertaking parking and loading surveys during Spring 2022 to understand where people park and load currently, and for how long they undertake these activities for. This will give us an appreciation of what provision of parking and loading is required.

Any proposed changes to loading and unloading will be subject to its own statutory consultation.

We are aiming to improve walking and cycling in Musselburgh, and improving pedestrian and cyclist movement to shops and local businesses, and between different shops and businesses, is an important part of this.

We expect a well-connected town to attract people to use the amenities and create a more vibrant and prosperous town for businesses. There is evidence from many other schemes that improving walking, cycling and public spaces can boost retail sales, and that cycle parking delivers five times the retail spend per square metre than the same area of car parking.

Local businesses will be consulted with throughout the development of the project. The Council will work with local businesses to understand their concerns. With them, the Council will assess the impacts of the works and mitigate them where appropriate

Buses will be able to operate as they do now. The proposals will not mean any changes to services are needed. Depending on which option is taken forward following consultation, the number of bus stops may need to be reduced to accommodate the improved walking and cycling infrastructure. We are working with the bus operators in developing the scheme and will continue to do so.

No traffic modelling has been undertaken at this early stage of the project. Following consultation, when a preferred option has been identified for each of the three routes, the impacts on traffic will be considered as the designs are developed in more detail.

Yes. There are a number of planned developments and planning proposals in the area which were considered when we developed the network of routes and concept designs. We have liaised with planning officers at East Lothian Council and will be providing opportunities for links to be created between the routes and the new developments.

There are several other projects / proposals in Musselburgh that are planned or in progress. The Flood Protection Scheme is looking at measures to protect Musselburgh from flooding from the coast and River Esk. The Musselburgh Active Toun team is working closely with the Flood Protection Scheme team to ensure the measures proposed in each project will be complementary.

There are several proposals in the Local Development Plan and Local Transport Strategy that affect various locations across the town. The project team are aware of these and they will be borne in mind throughout the design process to ensure that the proposals are complementary.

Yes. We know there is an existing Town Centre Strategy. The design team will develop landscape concept designs for public spaces with input from the East Lothian Council Town Centre Regeneration Officer and Heritage team. The town centre is a high-profile conservation area and has to be treated sensitively.

Yes, it is the Council’s intention to take forward the other strategic and local connecting routes at a later date and subject to finding.