A spokesperson for East Lothian Council told the Courier: “A replacement flagpole will not be installed at present as the building remains mothballed since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The future of the Old Town Hall will be considered as part of the council’s asset review.”
The flagpole on the prominent High Street building flew the Saltire and the Honest Toun flag at the time of the annual Musselburgh Festival.
Campaigners have been keen to see the complex of buildings at the Old Town Hall – which is owned by Musselburgh Common Good Fund – brought back into full use.
The buildings include:
- The Tolbooth, which is the High Street frontage and originally dates from the late 15th century. Except for the clock tower, it was destroyed in 1544 and rebuilt in 1572. It has been a court, a jail and a police station;
- The Old Town Hall, fronting the square, dates from 1733 and has been a court room and a meeting place for the town council, with a market area beneath;
- The Assembly Hall to the rear of the Town Hall, which was built in 1901 and was the forerunner of the Brunton Hall.
Asked about the asset review, the council spokesperson said: “Engagement on our placemaking project took place between April and June with a series of workshops in different parts of East Lothian for key building stakeholders and community groups, and an online questionnaire for wider audiences.
“Part of this engagement work was focused on accommodation for the arts in Musselburgh and a report on this will be presented to the meeting of East Lothian Council on Tuesday.
“A separate report on the outcomes from the wider placemaking project is expected to be presented to the full meeting of East Lothian Council in October.”