Julie Cadwallader, Author at PJA

Local authorities reported to lack resource to manage flood risk sustainability

CIWEM published a report last week which identifies that only a third of local authorities have sufficient resources to manage flood risk sustainably.

This comes days after flash flooding has impacted the south of the UK. A growing problem that is becoming increasingly common due to our changing climate.

With it looking increasingly likely that Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act will be enacted next year, this will only increase pressure on our Local Authorities who are already under-resourced and under-funded.

The CIWEM report identifies areas where improvements could be made, including increased co-operation of all risk management authorities, improved leadership within authorities and clarity across organisations.

At PJA we understand the pressures that Lead Local Flood Authorities face, and the ever-growing skills gap within the flood risk sector in both the public and private sector.

Action is required to bring more people into our industry and up-skill all parties to better understand flood risk and associated solutions to ensure long term resilience to flooding in the UK.

For more information, guidance or to talk through training opportunities, please contact:

Alison Caldwell, Associate Director
T: 07976 482 210
E: [email protected]

Find out more about our services here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Alison Caldwell Email 0121 289 9239

Happy 8th Birthday Bristol Office!

Straddling the River Avon and enveloped in the hills of the South West England, Bristol is a cultural hub of innovation, enterprise and ‘out of the box’ thinking. A perfect base for our south west regional office, offering integrated transport, engineering and placemaking consultancy.

In the eight years our team has had a permanent base in Bristol, the office has gone from strength to strength. Our team of transport planners, engineers and placemakers is ten strong, led by South West Regional Director Dave Woolley.

Dave said: “Our presence in the south west puts us right in the centre of the action ready to create better places through great design in a place where heritage meets innovation and enterprise.

“The team of amazing people we have here all bring their unique skills and abilities to the local area and to our wider national and international client base.

“We are proud to have a base firmly in Bristol, a city that has a rich cultural history, a fiercely independent spirit and a creative mindset”.

The team in Bristol boast a wide range of project experience including the award-winning regeneration of Filton Airfield into the new £2 billion Brabazon community, a reimagined Swindon Town Centre and rejuvenation of south west seaside towns including Torquay and Torbay.

Find out more about our services here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Dave Woolley Email 0117 203 2872

PJA People: Abbie Smart

Our wonderful team are our greatest asset. Not only experts in transport, engineering and placemaking but also committed to delivering better places for people through high-level-service client experiences.

We’re very proud to continue to celebrate the faces behind the fast-growing international consultancy that we are today in our monthly feature ‘PJA People’.

Next up in our series is Principal Engineer, Abbie Smart, based in our Birmingham office:

Tell us what you do at PJA

A civil engineer who gets excited about supporting active travel routes. I work closely with Manchester and Reading as well as transport colleagues in Birmingham to design and detail improvements for cycling and walking infrastructure.

What’s your career path so far?

I’ve always been within the consultancy sector, apart from the time whereby I was having a “third-life crisis” and I didn’t know where or what I wanted to be. Luckily, I’ve struck gold now at PJA, combining my passion for cycling with my background in civil engineering. I started work as a technician in my early 20’s, studying and working together. Looking back I don’t think I’d have done it any other way and recommend this route to anyone.

What do you enjoy when you’re not working?

I used to like walking and hiking, then I had Alfie 😊 Still try to get out into nature as much as possible. I think I just generally enjoy being around people to be honest. Being outside with people, yes, that’s my favourite time.

Are you a dog or cat person?

100% a dog person. Although, quite fussy and they need to be well trained dogs…but it does freak me out when they go to lick your face! Not sure I understand cats (no offence to cat lovers). I think I enjoy the active side associated with dogs. Here’s a photo of my favourite dog when I went on a camping trip to Durdle Door with friends. This is Colin.

Girl in a jacket

What are you currently reading or listening to?

I’ve just finished Amanda Owens first book – The Yorkshire Shepherdess. It honestly takes me months to get through a whole book, so it has to be interesting to get me hooked. This one did. All the admiration for a young woman who followed her dreams, survived off pasta and got her hands dirty! Maybe I’m slightly jealous of her outdoor lifestyle, but I can also admit she has a much stronger character than I could ever be.

Claim to fame?

Oh, I was on the local news once, when I was in primary school. I read a poem! There was a big event at that time – celebrating Aneurin Bevan, the legend that founded the NHS. This memory has always stuck with me, as we are so fortunate in this country to have the NHS available to all. Hopefully it continues on.

Abbie Smart, Principal Engineer

Abbie benefits from 16 years of experience in the civils and development infrastructure sectors. She has previously delivered highway and earthworks projects and secured technical approval of technical design schemes, led on Local Authority adoption processes and managed the implementation of the design through the construction stages.

Abbie is keen to incorporate sustainable design solutions within her designs and passionate to deliver work to a high quality for clients. Her knowledge and skills will seek to complement cycling and walking design considerations.

Get in touch with Abbie: [email protected]

Find out more about our services here

Read more in our PJA People series here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Abbie Smart Email 0121 289 9243

The impact of water on development

South West Water’s recent extension to, and expansion of, the hosepipe ban in Devon and Cornwall, and the continuing drought status indicates the south of the UK is struggling for water, whilst other parts of the country are facing the opposite problem. What does this mean as the government focuses more heavily on water stress and use?

Recent changes in climate, with lower rainfall and higher seasonal temperatures, has depleted reservoirs and aquifers compared to previous years. Added to this, the Met Office annual global temperature forecast for 2023 suggests that this year will be one of the hottest years on record with long periods of little or no rainfall. These changes are being faced across the country with more heatwaves and limited rainfall predicted again this year, increasing water stress in the UK.

Environmental Improvement Plan

In February 2023, the government released an Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) for the UK, identifying ambitious new targets for companies, industry, and other businesses towards environmental improvement with ‘clean and plentiful water for all’ being a key goal. These drivers to improve the efficiency of water supply will be placed in the spotlight in coming months as public awareness of water scarcity increases and deadlines for the targets approach.

The EIP identifies a long-term target reduction of water consumption per head as 20% by 2038. This will likely result in an expectation on all water users to design water efficient schemes and meet stringent daily water use values, putting the emphasis on everyone to operate differently and introduce water saving strategies into their processes. We have already seen the impact of this on our projects, with requirements to reduce water consumption to between 80 and 110 l/person/day.

What impact could this have on your project?

The implication that a change in water use on all levels and in all areas of industry will be required moving forward means, based on EIP targets, approximately 2 billion litres of water per day (equivalent to volume of 800 Olympic sized swimming pools) will need to be sourced through the reduction of water demand in existing and proposed development.

New development will need to include water efficiency and water reuse measures. Water efficiency labelling on household appliances will become mandatory and it is anticipated that water companies will push the mandatory installation of water meters so that leaks can be more accurately identified and repaired.

The planning system is expected to take note of the targets and apply strict water use limits to new development, which we are already seeing in the south and south east of the UK.

Given that typical water use in traditional households may be in the region of 145 to 150 litres per head per day, this indicates a significant change will be required to meet the target reduction of up to 40%.

Water efficiency and reuse measures will not be enough on their own, and active education will be needed to inform end users on their water footprint and the benefits of adopting a water saving culture.

The future

Our relationship with water is changing. It is no longer a perceived endless tap. Careful consideration, identification and design of water resources for developments is desperately needed to ensure that truly sustainable, and resilient, development can be achieved.

We need to focus our efforts on balancing water demand with sustainably water supplies, ensuring that we actively implement drought management measures to respond to our changing climate. It is imperative that we ensure development has an ultimately positive impact on our environment in the UK. This means paying particular attention to our natural water systems, ecosystems and water quality, in the immediate and long term to ensure true resilience in new development.

Our water resources team understand the challenges ahead, get in touch to see how we can assist you in addressing them:

Jerry Muscroft Email0118 338 4857

Alison Caldwell Email0121 387 7912

Andy Johnson Email0118 338 4865

Andrea Nelmes Email0121 387 791

Find out more about our water resources services here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Jerry Muscroft Email 0118 359 2761

Alison Caldwell Email 0121 289 9239

The impact of water on development Email

Andrea Nelmes Email 0121 289 9209

PJA People: Chris Stack

We’re very proud to continue to celebrate the faces behind the fast-growing international consultancy that we are today in our monthly feature ‘PJA People’.

Next up in our series is Associate Director, Chris Stack, based in our Birmingham office:

Chris Stack, Associate Director

Chris is a transport planner with over 17 years’ experience in private sector consultancy.

Chris specialises in development led transport planning projects including the production of documentation to support planning applications for private sector developers, local authorities (as landowners), and regeneration bodies. Chris has been a project director and project manager for a significant number and range of development projects including strategically important greenfield and brownfield sites.

Get in touch with Chris: [email protected]

Find out more about our services here

Read more in our PJA People series here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Chris Stack Email 0121 289 9219

Phil Jones joins Active Travel England Board

PJA’s chairman, Phil Jones, has been appointed on the Board of Active Travel England (ATE) – an Agency of the Department for Transport, delivering on the government’s commitment to boost cycling and walking and deliver a healthy, safe and carbon-neutral transport system.

Phil’s many years of experience as an engineer, transport planner and active travel expert makes him a perfect fit to advise the body on appropriate and effective methods of delivery, appreciating the needs of people wishing to travel more sustainably, which will mainly be delivered through the efforts of local authorities and developers.

Phil said: “I couldn’t be more delighted to be appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Active Travel England, working closely with Chris Boardman and the rest of the Board.

“ATE has the huge responsibility of delivering on the Government’s commitments to raise substantially the levels of walking and cycling across England, helping to make our nation a healthier, safer and more sustainable place.

“Its mission aligns very closely with that of our company – to ‘create better places through great design’. I look forward to working with ATE to help to achieve its aims.”

Phil is notching up an impressive amount of high-profile experience. He was instrumental in helping to draft the recent changes to the Highway Code, including the new ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ and the clearer rules on junction priorities. He was also a lead author of LTN1/20, the Government’s cycling infrastructure design guidance which was published alongside its ‘Gear Change’ policy document; and co-authored the guidance on Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans published in 2017. Phil has also led the historic change to reduce the default speed limit of most urban roads to 20mph in Wales, which comes into force in September.

ATE will be a Statutory Consultee on land use planning, with the aim of improving provision for walking and cycling on new developments. Phil’s experience in this sector gives him a real insight into the challenges faced by developers which will help ATE strike the right balance; and enable PJA to help its private sector clients to navigate these new requirements while continuing to achieve their wider aims.

Made up of some of the UK’s leading transport planners, engineers and place makers we work together to create better places through great design.

Find out more about us here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

World Water Day: UK Water Stress

As we celebrate World Water Day, we remember that clean water is a basic human right. While this is something generally taken for granted in the UK, there are indications that a long-standing water stress issue might make an impact more than ever in 2023.

Indications show◊ that river and aquifer levels are already dangerously below their usual flows in 2023, with predicted weather patterns this year pointing to long hot and dry periods, which will add further stress to our potable water supply.

In addition, most UK rivers do not meet the criteria for good ecological status, and exposure to chemicals and pesticides needs to be managed. In February 23, the government released The Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), with Goal 3 targeting clean and plentiful water for all. The EIP sets new targets that will apply to water companies, industry and many other businesses, including developers.

Despite recent changes in approach, works and improvements in the water sector, the benefits have had diminishing returns due to other factors such as the increase in population and increase in pollution risk. This highlight deficiencies in the UK’s infrastructure condition and suitability for growth.

Nutrient balance is also considered in the EIP, with stringent targets for pollution from agriculture. There is a target reduction in nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment pollution of 40% by 2038, with interim measured targets also applied and stronger targets in areas where nutrient imbalance is a significant issue.

The EIP indicates that an additional 4 billion litres of water per day will be required to meet demand by 2050, noting that the current water use per day is approximately 14 billion litres, with an estimated leakage loss of 20%. It is anticipated that half of the target will be met by reducing demand (water saving culture) and half through increased supply (fixing leaks).

The EIP identifies a long-term target of water consumption per head as 20% by 2038, again with interim benchmark targets to be achieved. The government anticipates that this reduction will be shared by businesses and residential households and will likely result in an expectation on developers to design water efficient schemes and meet stringent daily water use values. It will also put the emphasis on current businesses to operate differently and introduce water saving strategies into their processes.

As there is a target to reduce extraction by 0.8 billion litres per day by 2027 and 1.4 billion by 2050, abstraction licensing is likely to be analysed. This will have a knock-on effect to the permitting process and increase pressure on industry, specifically agriculture.

A significant portion of the strategy proposed by the government will rely on the improvements to wastewater infrastructure and performance by water companies as the statutory undertakers. The government is requiring that all water companies upgrade their treatment works for water quality and prioritise areas affected by nutrient neutrality, which should unlock planning permission for many new developments in these areas.

The EIP recognises that there will be a significant increase in water demand nationally and that the approach to water consumption must undertake a step change for all. While there is a significant burden on the water industry to reduce leaks and upgrade infrastructure, the culture of water use (both for residents and businesses) will need to change.

It is hoped that these targets, in line with the implementation of Schedule 3 of the FWMA provide the opportunity to examine the water cycle of new developments as a whole and provide sustainable holistic solutions that will reduce water demand, re-use water, share water and reduce strain on public infrastructure.

Only if this is done in tandem with the works being scheduled by the water companies, will the diminishing returns on improvements end and the scales be tipped back towards a safe, clean, abundant supply of water to all in the UK.

Find out more about our water resources services: Water Resource Management and Flood Risk Consultants – PJA

Sign up for more news from PJA here

◊ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/colin-robinson-b559242_water-coolingwater-industrialwater-activity-7042026965804969985-SVus?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Alison Caldwell Email 0121 289 9239

World Water Day: UK Water Stress Email

PJA secures technical approval for new community in Newport

PJA supported Bloor Homes in their proposal for a new high-quality community in Newport, Shropshire.

The planning application proposed around 300 new homes, Extra Care apartments, community facilities and extensive landscaping.

PJA’s civil engineers provided the detailed design for the project for two junctions on Station Road and A518 which have gone on to attain technical approval.

Associate Director, Andrew Nixon, said:

“We are delighted to have been able to support Bloor Homes in this project which will provide a new high-quality community and help meet the local housing need.

“The junction designs on the Station Road and A518 proved a successful following co-ordination of multiple civil cngineering disciples. We were able to demonstrate our ability to work closely with the client and local authority to produce a technically compliant solution that all parties are happy with.

We can’t wait to see the community come to life.”

Find out more on our civil engineering services here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Andrew Nixon Email 0121 289 9234

PJA’s Cambridge Team Expands

Our Cambridge team has expanded again as Associate Colin Young brings his development-related transport planning experience to the mix.

Colin has over 20 years’ experience in transport planning working on a range of projects across the UK, with many of these being located in the East of England. His expertise includes transport planning and traffic engineering, collaborative working with fellow professional including architects, landscape specialists and planners, and supporting clients on their highway and transport requirements.

Prior to joining PJA, Colin worked as a Managing Consultant supporting private and local authority clients on projects across a variety of sectors including large residential developments and industrial sites.

Colin joins our well-established team, including Mike Salter, Jack Gray and Julia Coonan, who have built on PJA’s Transport, Engineering and Placemaking offering since the Cambridge office opened in 2020 with the aim to design better places through great design.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Find out more on us here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

PJA’s Cambridge Team Expands Email

International Women’s Day 2023

It’s International Women’s Day 2023! This global day highlights the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality as well as opening up the discussion on how we can forge a more inclusive world for the next generation.

The theme of International Women’s Day 2023 is #EmbraceEquity– a call-to-action to get the world talking about how people start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging requires equitable action.

It’s a great opportunity to flashback to Associate Director Catriona Swanson talking about creating places that accommodate all people:

“I was out on site recently, analysing streets in an area so that we can design safer routes to local schools. I saw a woman trying to push a pushchair up a kerb with a slight lip and she just couldn’t do it. It was at a busy junction, and she ended up having to reverse to get the pushchair up. And the once she’d done that, she had to get through a barrier just to get through a metre long path to get through to another road. Whoever put this kerb and barrier in was not thinking about who was going to be using it, and this woman was being inconvenienced everyday by that decision.

“This is just one of so many examples that show our towns and cities have been designed by people who drive everywhere and don’t need to worry about pushchairs and wheelchairs. I’ve done a lot of work to understand what various groups including disabled people need while using the streets – such as dropped kerbs and smooth surfaces – and they just wouldn’t be as obvious to non-disabled people. When streets make movement difficult, it forces people to jump into their cars because it’s easier to drive the short distance than navigate obstacles.

“That’s why our industry of transport planners, street engineers and urban designers needs to reflect the people it’s creating places for. Not just more women and mums, but more disabled people too, so that our streets are suitable, safe and enjoyable for everyone to move around.

“I’m proud to say that PJA carries out detailed site audits when we’re designing streets and places. We watch how people use the spaces and talk to local people. Perhaps some residents might want a barrier on a pavement to stop anti-social behaviour from cyclists or motorcyclists, but this needs to be understood in the context of the needs of those using wheelchairs, pushchairs or non-standard cycles. It’s about using our training and education to ensure we are designing inclusive and accessible places.”

Catriona Swanson, Associate Director

Catriona is an Associate Director in our Manchester office. She has over 12 years’ experience of delivering active travel, sustainable transport, regeneration and placemaking schemes in both the public and private sectors. Catriona’s experience includes network planning and concept design as well as overseeing the detailed design and delivery of schemes. She is particularly passionate about inclusive design and creating Healthy Streets.

BSc (Hons) MPlan

Find out more on us here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

International Women’s Day 2023 Email