Dido Properties’ development will see the creation of a new media campus at a 56-acre brownfield site in Buckinghamshire. Situated next to the A404 at Little Marlow, the former quarry and landfill site will now be transformed to deliver an 18-soundstage production campus.

Designed by architects Wilkinson Eyre, the scheme will see the construction of 280,000 sq ft of production offices, 472,000 sq ft of soundstages and 410,000 sq ft of workshops, together with substantial supporting infrastructure, transport and landscaping works.

Waterman has been appointed on the Port of Dover Specialist Design Support Framework.

One of the busiest international ferry ports globally, and the second busiest UK cruise port, Kent’s Port of Dover is home to the cross-channel roll-on/roll-off ferry to France, in addition to a range of commercial activities, including cruise, cargo and marina.

Running for an initial three years, our appointment to the framework will see our team delivering design support for the Port’s civils and highway assets, including bridges, culverts, paving and gantries. Our involvement will also see our specialists provide consultancy on the testing, design, analysis and material selection for a range of Port assets, in addition to inspections and feasibility studies.

Congratulations to Aamar Lovell, an Apprentice Engineer from our Manchester Infrastructure & Environment team who has been shortlisted for the ICE North West Rising Star Award.

We are delighted that Aamar has progressed to the judging stage of these prestigious Awards, which recognise emerging talent making a strong contribution early in their careers.

Through his work with the Civil & Bridge Structures Team, Aamar has supported a range of infrastructure projects, including Manchester City Council’s 2026 General Inspection programme and structural assessment work for DRAX Hydro in Scotland. His involvement has included supporting inspection planning and delivery, undertaking site inspections, contributing to technical assessments, and producing clear reports to support informed asset management and maintenance decisions.

Alongside his technical role, Aamar is actively involved in professional engagement and early careers outreach. He is a member of the ICE North West Rising Star Committee and volunteers at careers and employability events, where he promotes civil engineering apprenticeships and career pathways within the industry.

The winner will be announced at the awards dinner on 7 May 2026 at the Hilton Hotel, Liverpool.

Fingers crossed for Aamar!

Ørsted proposed the development of the Hornsea 04 Offshore Wind Farm, a major addition to the Humber offshore wind cluster. Positioned approximately 69 km east of Flamborough Head, adjacent to the eastern boundary of the existing Hornsea 02 array, the project would have been one of the world’s largest offshore wind farm developments.

The selected landfall, located near Fraisthorpe, south of Bridlington on England’s east coast, lies within a zone of significant active coastal erosion. Ørsted identified landfall construction as a high risk element of the project and sought specialist assessment to establish a ‘base case’ export cable landfall design to take forward with EPCI contractors.

Our geotechnical team carried out a comprehensive Landfall Feasibility Study. The objective was to technically evaluate trenchless installation options capable of meeting Ørsted’s base cable installation parameters, enabling a clear and informed decision on the lowest risk solution for the project and providing a robust reference design for the main works tender.

The study included a detailed geological assessment and ground modelling based on ground investigation data, alongside the specification and procurement of topographical surveys. Using both onshore topographic information and offshore bathymetry data, 3D landfall profiles were developed to support the assessment of installation constraints, including minimum water depths at punch out and cable cover depth requirements for thermal dissipation.

A long term assessment of coastal erosion potential, projecting conditions up to 45 years post commissioning, was undertaken with technical support from a sub consultant. Our team also carried out inspections of rock core samples recovered from offshore boreholes to determine the frequency and nature of flint inclusions, which could pose challenges for trenchless construction techniques.

To support risk management and future project stages, a comprehensive Geotechnical Risk Register was developed, identifying key ground related risks and proposing appropriate mitigation measures. The findings were formalised through the production of a detailed Landfall Feasibility Report and associated base case design drawings.

Our analysis demonstrated that the lowest risk technique would be a fully cased system, driven from onshore to offshore using a jacked microtunnel boring machine launched from an onshore sheet piled pit. This solution provided confidence in achieving the required length to meet minimum water depth criteria at punch out, while limiting the extent of offshore works and associated weather dependency. Subsequent engagement with EPCI contractors by Ørsted validated this recommendation.