UK: PMSS ‘s New Service to Strength Offshore Development of Their Clients

Specialist renewable energy consulting firm PMSS today unveiled their brand new Marine Archaeological Service and are pleased to announce the recruitment of John Gribble and Stuart Leather to lead the service.

They join PMSS to take a leading role in establishing this new service and strengthen their client’s onshore and offshore development and construction aspirations, management responsibilities and environmental consent needs.

Dr Steve Freeman, Director of Environment said:

“John and Stuart are leading figures in the field of maritime archaeology with a passion for improving the sustainable development and management of our seas heritage. They bring us unparalleled expertise at a time when PMSS is supporting many of the world’s leading renewable energy businesses in pre- and post-consent activities. This is another example of how we continue to provide practical recommendations drawn from nearly two decades of front-line industry experience.”

John Gribble has over 15 years experience as a maritime archaeological heritage manager and regulator in South Africa, and archaeological consultant in the UK offshore development sector. He has previously been part of the South African National Monuments Council (now the South African Heritage Resources Agency) as a Marine Archaeologist, and then following this, a project manager for Wessex Archaeology’s Coastal and Marine Section.

He has taken an active interest in the development of underwater heritage management at both a national and international level, having led the South African delegation to a number of meetings at UNESCO headquarters to negotiate the Convention for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. He has also served as a member for the International Committee for Underwater Cultural Heritage since 2000, has been a member of the UK’s influential Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee (JANPC) for a year, and up until recently, served on the committee of the Institute for Archaeologists Maritime Affairs Group. He has a BA in Archaeology, followed by a Masters of Archaeology from the University of Cape Town.

Stuart Leather has over 20 years experience in cultural heritage and hydrographic and geophysical surveying and previously held a senior position at Wessex Archaeology’s Coastal and Marine Section. He has extensive experience in managing large commercial projects relating to the marine historic environment and has been involved in developing a range of techniques for the use and integration of geophysical and geotechnical survey data for interpreting and assessing the historic environment, particularly within the context of impacts from offshore developments.

Stuart has a MSc in Marine Archaeology from the University of Southampton, a BSc (Hons) in Hydrographic Surveying from the University of Plymouth and is a member of the Institute of Archaeologists. He is a tutor for the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) and gives bespoke lectures to Universities and schools on development led-archaeology.

John and Stuart are authors of numerous scientific and technical papers on maritime archaeology and more recently co-authors of COWRIE’s most recent guidance note: Geotechnical Investigations and Historic Environment Analysis: Guidance for the Renewable Energy Sector (2010).

[mappress]

Source: pmss , June 15, 2011