(Information supplied by Caroline Paterson, Natural Heritage Officer, City of Edinburgh Council)

The Water of Leith Walkway is managed and maintained by the Coumcil’s Natural Heritage Service, Parks and Greenspace. The site in question is intricate and landownership and responsibilities had to be investigated to ensure that boundary issues are resolved.

The closure of the Walkway was triggered following a routine inspection and it was closed on the 20^th May 2015.  The works required will include the removal of the metal railings to allow repairs to be made to the wall, once these are completed the railings will be re-instated. The repairs to the wall will be carried out by the landowner as the wall itself is not the responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council. However the railings were installed by the Council as part of the Millennium Project when the walkway was established in this location and therefore fall to us to manage.

Since November the City of Edinburgh Council Natural Heritage Service has continued to work closely with the land owner.  We agreed a specification for the railings which will be re-instated after the land owner has made the necessary repairs to the wall.  The Council has appointed a contractor who has already cleared the vegetation from the site.  The contractor is due to remove the railings after which the land owner will be in a better position to assess the wall and commission the required repairs.  Given the nature of this work and the possible delays due to weather, the Council cannot give a timescale as to when the works will be completed and the path re-opened.