Peter Brett takes over Chester consultancy

Development and infrastructure consultancy Peter Brett Associates has agreed to acquire coastal, sewerage and flood risk specialist Martin Wright Associates.

PBA is headquartered in Reading but has an office in Manchester city centre. The company said the merger would build on the recent appointment of Katherine Pygott in Manchester as director of water management for the North of England. The staff expertise within MWA means PBA can extend its flood management and coastal engineering skills, supporting delivery in more parts of the country. The PBA water team will now number more than 50 staff.

Chester-based MWA has 15 staff in the region, and will help deliver a wide range of infrastructure projects. The company will continue to operate under its current name in the medium-term.

Pygott said: "PBA and MWA have worked together closely for over 15 years and we have great complementary skill sets and are recognised for our engineering expertise by our clients. There are excellent opportunities for our combined team, particularly in coastal engineering. The events of this winter underline the importance of access to engineering expertise in flood and coastal management."

Martin Wright, owner of MW, said: "The blending of our teams offers significant opportunities for us to extend our reach beyond our current area of expertise and to take on more complex projects with the knowledge we can provide a complete service to our clients."

In 2013, as part of its planned growth programme PBA acquired civil and structural engineering firm Hannah, Reed & Associates. In 2011, the practice merged with planning, development and economics consultants Roger Tym & Partners and Baker Associates.