Friends of the Water of Leith Basins

FOWLB

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Our Mission

The Friends of the Water of Leith Basins (FOWLB) is a unicorporated body with a constitution.  Our Mission is to promote, preserve and enhance the unique character of the Water of Leith Basins for the enjoyment of its residents, workers and visitors.  We aim to work with all relevant local partnerships to ensure the cleanliness of the Basins, the water quality, and architecture and amenities of The Shore and the immediate environs (1-2 streets from the river). We strive to do the best for the area preserving and detailing its rich history.

Please visit our Facebook page for news about current activities. If you wish to learn more about the area see the Resources section for our interactive map of Leith and guided walk by John Hume

Years

Members

River Cleanups

£'s Raised

An enthusiastic voluntary group dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the Leith Basins and environs

We have spent the last 10 years working to establish the Friends of the Water of Leith Basins, FOWLB. The organisation was set up in order to identify a coordinated response to maintain, support and grow the Water of Leith Basins, their walkways and surrounding area; all this with respect to Leith’s exceptional history.

Our Executive Committee

A diverse array of members from all walks of life with a shared purpose.

George Johnston

Chairperson

Kristin Hannesdottir

Vice-Chair

Don Giles

Secretary & Development Officer

Hilary Thacker

Treasurer & Lead Researcher

Vacant

 Information Officer

John Russell

Environment Officer

Deidre Barclay

Minute Secretary

Pat Roche

Ex-Officio Member

Events Organiser

Reg Long

Ex-Officio Member

 Leith History

Leith has an incredibly rich history. FOWLB has curated a webpage detailing some of the highlights.

Learn More

Projects and Achievements

Renovation of the south shore

Old barriers were removed, opening up the riverside to pedestrians, New trees were planted, the pavements were resurfaced and the roads changed to reduce congestion for businesses, residents and visitors.

Scheduled monument application

Application to Historic Scotland to nominate Leith Inner Harbour for Designation as a Scheduled Monument and reappraisal of Leith Conservation Character Appraisal

Purchase of Customs House for the community

Without FOWLB‘s interventions the Custom House would have been sold to a private owner and the people of Leith would have lost one of their greatest assets.

The siltation and potential flooding

Old barriers were removed, opening up the riverside to pedestrians, New trees were planted, the pavements were resurfaced and the roads changed to improve congestion for businesses, residents and visitors.

Planning applications

We have led the way in opposing four planning applications on the Water of Leith Basins, all of which are in the Leith conservation area.

All Projects