On the River Thames

Powered by Women, Land & Power Administers Ambitious Wetland Project

By Editorial Staff

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, coupled 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 ambitious 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 construction 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 employing 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 individuals) were women.

Jayne Hornsby, Head of Estimating and Business Development at Land & Water Group, explains why the business is passionate about tackling the disproportionate employment figures in the industry: “I truly believe that we are at a turning point in the history of gender equality and as a values led, community focussed business it is vital that we actively engage with the issues affecting the communities in which we live and work. The #BalanceforBetter campaign is vital on both a societal and boardroom level with many businesses waking up to the idea that gender balance is vital in every aspect of our lives from work, to the media and beyond. Our businesses should be representative of the society and shared goals that we are working for and therefore reflect the individuals that make it up.

“This is why as a business we are extremely proud to have numerous talented women shaping and driving the Land & Water Group forward as well as fostering the next generation of talent through our apprenticeship programme.”

From its General Managers, Business Development team and Divisional Business Managers through to Contracts Managers and Environmental Scientists, women are fundamental to the continued success of Land & Water. In fact, female employees make up 50% of the senior services team. A diverse leadership team leads to greater diversity of thought which in turn improves problem-solving and allows the business to take a lead in the industry. Collaboration is a key factor contributing to the company’s success.

Land & Water is an award-winning inland waterway and coastal civil and environmental engineering company based in the UK.