Bridge nominated for eco award

THE Mersey Gateway project team’s green credentials have been given a lift after it was shortlisted for a gong.

It will now face a judging panel to find out whether it wins the stakeholder engagement category at the Chartered Institute Of Ecology And Environmental Management (CIEEM) Best Practice Awards.

The event is aimed at celebrating excellence in environmental management on large-scale projects.

A Mersey Gateway project spokesman said that to reach the final the team had to demonstrate how it met a number of criteria, including how sensitive resolved.

Part of the works to install the 2.1km structure involved clearing contaminated land, clearing and replanting trees and building over areas such as Wigg Island nature reserve in Runcorn.

Dr Mark Hampton, the project’s lead ecologist, said the awards recognised the ‘highest standards of professionalism’ in environmental management across the project site and from Merseylink and engineering firm AECOM, construction company Kier and the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust.

Dr Hampton said: issues were “Preserving and improving the natural environment surrounding the project and wider areas was a priority from the beginning.

“Being shortlisted is recognition of everyone’s hard work, but we want to go one step further and win it, and demonstrate the work we’ve put in to engage with environmental stakeholders is the gold standard.

“We demonstrated how we had worked with regulators to ensure the construction of the haul roads on the saltmarsh at the start of the project did not interfere with bird nesting season.

“Throughout the project we’ve taken steps to ensure transparent and timely access to information for the project stakeholders such as Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Marine Management Organisation, the Local Planning Authority and research institutions.

“We’ve made it our priority to inform, consult, involve and collaborate with these organisations, but also to foster interest and engagement from the local community.

“This is done through community engagement events, the establishment of volunteer groups and working closely with local schools to promote the project’s environmental benefits.”

Cllr Rob Polhill, Halton Borough Council leader, congratulated the team on being shortlisted.

He said: “This is recognition of the extremely high standard of work that has been demonstrated from the project team since this project began.

“Any large-scale project has to pay careful consideration to its environmental impact.

“This nomination shows how important environmental and ecological considerations have been from the start.”

The CIEEM Best Practice Awards will be held in London on Wednesday, June 21.