George Leslie has been honoured with the Community Engagement Award at the 2025 Scottish Civil Engineering Awards. The honour, widely recognised as a benchmark for excellence in the built environment, was presented at a Gala Lunch hosted by Arlene Stuart at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC). [Fri 29 August 2025]
The award acknowledges George Leslie’s hard work on a series of interconnected projects for Scottish Water, valued at a combined £4.7m. The project portfolio, centred on the historic Craigmaddie and Mugdock reservoirs and was cited for
significant and sustained community engagement with highly motivated local interest groups was critical to the successful delivery of this multi-faceted project
The reservoirs, built in the 19th century, are a vital resource, supplying drinking water to 700,000 Glaswegians and attracting over 160,000 visitors annually.
Key elements of the initiative included extensive structural improvements to the valve tower bridge and footpaths, and a comprehensive de-silting operation at the Dirty Dam. The project team removed over 7,000 cubic metres of silt—enough to fill nearly three Olympic swimming pools—without compromising water quality. This work improved service provision and enhanced natural habitats for local species, protecting downstream watercourses from the risk of future pollution incidents.
A key factor in the project’s success was the delivery team’s proactive and collaborative approach to community engagement. From the outset, the team worked closely with the local community, Community Council, local residents, and politicians. This comprehensive outreach strategy was designed to ensure that the project’s development not only met engineering requirements but also addressed the specific concerns and priorities of those it would impact the most. By actively involving special interest groups and other stakeholders, George Leslie was able to adapt its plans to minimise disruption and enhance the long-term benefits of the work.
We also ensured that sustainability was a core tenet of the delivery process. This included exploring alternative, modern materials for the replacement of the 19th-century valve tower bridge, which at 21.9 metres long and weighing 14.9 tonnes, was a major undertaking. The new structure is designed to extend its operational life by a further 100 years. Furthermore, in house teams methodically planned every aspect of construction, from the type of plant used to the number of vehicle movements, to minimise carbon output.
The project also focused on enhancing public amenities, culminating in the construction of a new biodiversity garden. This space, planted with over 4,000 trees, shrubs, and flowers, complements the footpath improvements and ensures the historic asset is fully restored for the benefit of the general public for many years to come.
