Press Coverage

42 csengineermag.com MAY 2019 Leading civil and Environmental engineering company, Land & Water, has gained consent for developing a Habitat Creation Scheme on the River Thames at Rainham Marshes, the largest habitat creation project ever constructed inside the M25. The project will involve creating a significant area of new wetland habitat from re-engineered spoils, cou- pled with a strategic investment in riverside infrastructure to support significant projects along the Thames Corridor for decades to come. The scheme will see the importation of over six million tonnes of wet and dry spoil material which will form both the basis of a new landform and cover the site to collect rainwater to fuel the wetlands passively. The site sits between Veolia's landfill site at Rainham and the RSPB's Rainham reserve. With the new area creating 1,000,000m2 of habitat, more than 5km2 of continuous habitats will be formed, providing East London with an oasis of wildlife owned and managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. This is Land & Water's most ambi- tious project to date. James Maclean, Chief Executive at Land & Water and mastermind of the scheme comments: "Our involvement at Rainham can be cast back more than five years, to a time when we undertook an options appraisal on behalf of the Port of London Authority. We analysed ways in which the former dredging disposal lagoons alongside the A13 at Rainham Marshes, could be reinvigorated to support infrastructure projects along the Thames. "In listening to the needs and desires of the stakeholders, we designed and developed a much bolder plan to turn our lagoons into the largest habitat creation project ever constructed inside the M25. We plan to deliver the project using dredged spoils and arisings from relevant con- struction projects to create varied habitats and engineer a considerable rainwater harvesting plan to feed sustainable wetlands to support the rare bird species in perpetuity." Empowered Women As an industry leader, renowned for innovation and a forward thinking approach the company is continuing to lead the industry by providing an environment in which all staff can succeed. This includes employ- ing 31 women in various roles across the business. It is no secret that the construction industry is renowned for its low percentage of female workers. In fact, the latest research from the ONS highlighted that of the 2.3 million people working in the construction industry in 2016 only 13 percent of the workforce (296,000 individu- als) were women. On the River Thames Powered by Women, Land & Power Administers Ambitious Wetland Project By Editorial Staff From left, Land & Water CEO James Maclean and Project Manager Avi Verber, at the Raiham habitat location. Photo: Land & Water From left, Giselle Warner, Lynn Puttock and Lucy Lee. Photo: Land & Water

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