Name Robin McInnes | Role Geologist | |
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Books Undercliff of the Isle of Wight in Old Picture Postcards, A Guide to the Isle of Wight, The Isle of Wight: Illustrated | ||
Robin McInnes, OBE (born 1 October 1949) is an English geologist and chartered civil engineer who is an authority on coastal processes who lives and works on the Isle of Wight. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and of the Geological Society of London.
Career
McInnes worked for various Isle of Wight local authorities from 1972 to 2007. He worked for the Isle of Wight County Council from 1972 until 1987 and as Deputy Borough Surveyor and subsequently Borough Surveyor of South Wight Borough Council until local government reorganisation in 1995. On the creation of the Unitary Authority he was appointed as Coastal Manager for the Isle of Wight Council. He resigned this post in June 2007 and established his own consultancy 'Coastal and Geotechnical Services'.
In 1996 he established the Isle of Wight Centre for the Coastal Environment for the Isle of Wight Council. This provided a focus for addressing the problems facing the Isle of Wight coastline in terms of coastal erosion and landslip, particularly in the context of potentially worsening situations arising from the predicted impacts of climate change.
Specialising in coastal and landslide management, McInnes has published more than fifty technical papers in these fields and has also written fourteen books about the Isle of Wight.
McInnes has been involved in coastal and geotechnical issues at an international level and has advised the United Nations, the European Commission and the Council of Europe on landslide-related problems. He chaired the Coastal Defence Groups of England and Wales for five years and was Technical Chairman of the Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline (SCOPAC) from 1995-2008. A particular interest has been management of the Ventnor Undercliff, which is the largest urban landslide complex in north-western Europe. In partnership with the European Commission and the government he has published non-technical advice and guidance for decision-makers in relation to both coastal issues and management of ground instability problems.
In 2006 he was awarded the OBE for "chairmanship of the Coastal Defence Groups of England and Wales and services to the coast".