PLA's new team has an upriver maintenance mission

Engineer Bernard Watson is leading a new Port of London Authority (PLA) in-house team focussed on maintaining the southern river wall of the Thames between Kew and Putney.

He was appointed as general foreman in April, to lead the recruitment of the PLA’s upriver maintenance team, which will ensure all the company’s assets along the 5.5 mile stretch of the river’s Surrey bank are kept in good order.

For many years previous, the repair works have been contracted out on an ad-hoc basis.

One of the new team’s first tasks has been to fill in gaps in the riverside revetment by the towpath at the Stag Brewery in Mortlake, recycling fallen stonework retrieved from the river, wherever possible.

Over the summer, Bernard has worked with Wandsworth and Richmond councils to establish a new base for the team at Barn Elms Sports Centre.

Derek Maynard, who leads the PLA’s civil engineering team, said: “It makes sense for us to have a locally-based team with local knowledge doing this important work for us, as was the case in 1950s and 60s.

Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, Chair of Richmond Council’s Environment and Sustainability Committee, said: “Richmond upon Thames is famously the only London borough situated on both banks of the Thames and as such the river plays a huge part in our lives. It is very important to protect and maintain river walls in the borough and it is great to see a dedicated team set up by the PLA.”

Tree roots and general wear and tear are the main causes of damage to the revetments.

Bernard explained: “Sometimes it’s a challenge to get at the revetments through the vegetation, but it’s a job with the best views in the world.”

All the revetment repairs will respect Environment Agency and Marine Management Organisation requirements, including measures to maintain the existing river line.

The team’s remit does not include the towpath itself, which is managed by Richmond Council, as the highways authority.