DUTCH engineering and environmental consultancy Royal Haskoning is opening a new Liverpool office to lead a major expansion in the North West.

The group is doubling the number of specialists it has in the region and bringing them all together under one roof in Edmund Street, Liverpool city centre.

The company has already worked on several schemes in Merseyside, including acting as structural engineers on the regenerated Southport Pier and project engineers on the plan to move the wartime German U-Boat from the defunct Warship Collection to Woodside Ferry Terminal. Royal Haskoning hopes the new office will boost its profile in the region. As well as its existing environmental, port and maritime work, the company is creating a new team in Liverpool to cover infrastructure and building projects.

The office will house up to 50 maritime and coastal engineers, scientists, contaminated land specialists and structural engineers.

Bootle-born chartered engineer David Ricketts, head of Royal Haskoning’s new Infrastructure and Building Advice Group, said: “Royal Haskoning see Liverpool and the North West as a perfect area for new activity, and the decision was taken at board level to open an expanded regional office in Liverpool to accommodate all of our groups under one roof.

“It is bringing together a significant contingent of highly skilled and respected practitioners in a number of engineering disciplines.

“I think it is terrific that we are increasing our presence in Liverpool at a time when there is so much regeneration across the city region and the North West.”

Board member Henry Rowe said: “We are delighted to be opening a new office in Liverpool, and at the same time almost doubling our staff in the city region.”

alistairhoughton