Julie Cadwallader, Author at PJA

DEFRA releases review of flood and water management act 2010

PJA are excited to see the release of ‘The review for implementation of Schedule 3 to The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (F&WMA)’ by DEFRA today. This is a massive step forward for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in England, with public consultation coming later this year and implementation expected in 2024.

This review considered three options for the future implementation of Schedule 3, comprising:

Do not implement Schedule 3 and continue delivering SuDS in developments through the planning process.
Implement Schedule 3 as written in the F&WMA, with the unitary authority or county council as approving and adopting body.
Implement Schedule 3 with a different approving and adopting body.

With DEFRA concluding that Schedule 3 should be implemented as written in the F&WMA, with the unitary authority or county council as approving and adopting body.

Through this review, drawing from an advisory group and learning from the implementation of Schedule 3 in Wales, DEFRA identified multiple findings with concluding recommendations centred around five key areas:

Appointment of a SAB
Costs and funding
Skills and Capabilities
Guidance and mandatory standards
Approval and Adoption (including exemptions)

Through our extensive experience with SuDS, in particular our experience working through the implementation of Schedule 3 in Wales, we feel this review thoroughly considered the best means for enacting Schedule 3 in England.

While there are many recommendations and next steps outlined in this review, we, at PJA, consider the following points to be integral to the future successful implementation of Schedule 3 in England:

The SuDS Approving Body (SAB) should sit within the unitary authority or, if there is not one for the area, then it will be the county council.
A regulatory impact assessment will be completed during policy implementation and provide the costs and benefits in full to help inform the best decision on funding. Currently the three main costs have been identified as Setting up the SAB, Running the SAB and Operation and maintenance of SuDS.
Commencing Schedule 3 will require a public consultation on and publishing of national standards for sustainable drainage.
- Establish, consult on, and publish national standards about how sustainable drainage systems should be designed, constructed, maintained, and operated.
- Issue guidance, to which approving bodies must comply with, on the process of seeking and obtaining approval including how this will interact with planning processed.

Development of greater than 100 square metres, serving more than one single property, will be subject to Schedule 3 approval.
Implementation of transitional arrangements for well progressed developments.

As noted by The Rt Hon Therese Coffey MP, ‘The Government will now consider how Schedule 3 will be implemented, subject to final decisions on scope, threshold and process. A public consultation later this year will help to shape the new approach, with implementation expected during 2024.’

If you’d like to discuss how this may impact you and your future developments, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our inhouse water team:

Alison Caldwell
E: [email protected]
T: 07976 482210

Andrea Nelmes
E: [email protected]
T: 07732601126

Andy Johnson
E: [email protected]
T: 07732601126

More on our water resource services here

Read the release in full here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Alison Caldwell Email 0121 289 9239

DEFRA releases review of flood and water management act 2010 Email

Phoebe Ryding Email 0121 289 9236

Addressing Serious Water Stress with Water Neutrality

With the majority of the UK being identified to be in a state of Serious Water Stress, the focus is turning to Water Neutrality and how new development can reduce its water footprint.

Water Neutrality considers the whole life cycle of water, focusing on specific uses to create the ultimate balance between supply and demand within future development.

With particular focus on the Sussex North Water Supply Zone, Natural England have stated that “For every new development, total water use in the region after the development must be equal to or less than the total water-use in the region before the new development.”

Our water neutrality bulletin sets out our view on what you need to know and how Water Neutrality may be addressed.

Given the continued onset of climate change, the catchment areas of serious water stress will increase and, in the future, there will be an even greater need to consider water neutrality.

If you have any questions, queries or would just like to discuss how this may impact you and your development, please reach out to our inhouse water team:

Alison Caldwell
E: [email protected]
T: 07976 482210

Andrea Nelmes
E: [email protected]
T: 07732601126

More on our water resource services here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Alison Caldwell Email 0121 289 9239

Andrea Nelmes Email 0121 289 9209

PJA People: Lucy Small

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 HR Assistant Lucy Small, based in our Birmingham office:

Tell us what you do at PJA

I am a HR Assistant at PJA. I assist Aman (Aman Chohan: HR Manager) in the support of managing the overall employee lifecycle. My duties differ day-to-day from recruitment to ensuring all employee details are up-to-date and then everything else that comes in between!

What’s your career path so far?

I previously worked in payroll roles that incorporated elements of HR which is how I came to realise that HR was the career path for me.

In my last role, I worked in the offices on site at Hinkley Point C which was an experience!

I’m now currently studying to gain a CIPD qualification to assist me in my HR role.

What do you enjoy when you’re not working?

I enjoy travelling and experiencing new places and cultures. I also love going out for food, especially trying independent street vendors (I visit Herbert’s Yard right by our head office in Longbridge frequently!).

Are you a dog or cat person?

A dog person; we are hoping to bring our puppy home at the end of January which is very exciting!

What are you currently reading or listening to?

I have just finished reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid which was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, would definitely recommend!

Claim to fame?

I once saw Shia LaBeouf out on a run in Central Park when I was in NYC.

Lucy Small, HR Assistant

Lucy assists our HR Manager to implement HR strategies and provide HR support and guidance to our team.

Get in touch with Lucy: [email protected]

Find out more about our services here

Read more in our PJA People series here

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The Work Experience Diary

We’re all about encouraging the future generation of transport developers, engineers and placemakers and sharing our passion for what we do.

One way we do that is through offering work experience placements to interested students to learn about us and some of the things we do. We make these as interactive and wide ranging as possible across the project teams so students get the opportunity to try a variety of disciplines.

Lewis Pardoe recently joined us for one of these work experience placements. Here is his diary of the four days he spent with us:

Monday

“On Monday I had a day mostly spent doing water team related stuff with Charlotte (Charlotte Turner: Graduate Flood Risk & Drainage Engineer) which included completing a Flood Risk Assessment along with a general site risk assessment (including health and safety related risks).

“Out of everything I did I probably found the flood risk assessment the most challenging as there was a lot of cross referencing between websites and local authorities. However, I didn’t find the site risk assessment too hard. Whilst the people on the water team were amazing and kind I wasn’t as passionate about it compared to other departments. I also had a talk with Lucy (Lucy Small: HR Assistant on Monday about the company in general which was nice to have.

Tuesday

“On Tuesday I started by doing research related to the ground team with Dan (Dan Evans: Geo Environmental Engineer) which I found interesting and found out stuff about soil and bedrock I would have never know about before. I did enjoy the ground team work as it involves history and the effect past events have on future developments. I then had a session with Matt (Matt Wykes: Consultant) from the transport team which was probably my favourite throughout the week. I enjoyed learning about the impact that traffic flows and types have on future developments that are built.

Thursday

“On Thursday I spent the day with Jack (Jack Lynk: Assistant Engineer) doing civils sector work. We covered a large amount throughout the day which was all very informative and interesting. The day also massively broadened my CAD knowledge which helped on Friday and I’m sure will help me in the future. Road signs were also something I learnt about on Thursday and I’m sure I will never look at a road sign the same way again. It was also interesting to see a meeting on Thursday which helped me understand what sort of things happen during meetings.

Friday

“On Friday I spent the day with Eugenio (Eugenio Toichoa: Civil Engineer) from the infrastructure team. We did a lot of work on CAD today along with him talking me through the kind of stuff the infrastructure team do. We focused in on storm water and foul water sewage for a large part of the day which broadened my knowledge in that sector and taught me about things that are relevant to me (for example the sewage pipes around my street). I found the day quite interesting actually as we basically went through each stage of how sewage is carried through pipes through an estate.

Summary

“Everybody who I spoke to throughout the week (which was basically the entire office) was great. Everyone made me feel welcome, was kind and was good at explaining what it is they do. I also appreciate the time people have taken out of their own work to help me throughout the week, whether that be setting up my software or explaining their job roles to me.

“The general things that I’d take away from this week is that I’d definitely like to work in a place like this and the job role is what I expected it to be like (which is positive). I’m sure there is more stuff that PJA doesn’t cover that I may learn about during uni but so far everything is looking good and I am excited for my future career.”

Find out more about us here

Sound like a bit of you? Check out our available roles here

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PJA People: Phoebe Ryding

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 Senior Flood Risk and Drainage Engineer Phoebe Ryding, based in our Birmingham office:

Tell us what you do at PJA

I work in the water resources team at PJA and work on a variety of different projects from river restoration to designing surface water drainage strategies.

What’s your career path so far?

My Dad is a transport planner and when I was doing my degree, I used to go to his office to use a computer with GIS on it. When I was doing this work, I decided I definitely didn’t want to be a transport planner – but I quite liked the look of the water team, so I decided to follow that!

I started as a Graduate at WSP in September 2016 and worked on a variety of public and private sector projects, including a secondment to Cardiff Council. I then joined PJA in January 2021 where I have continued to work on some really interesting schemes – including the restoration of the River Rea, which I am watching be constructed from my desk in our Longbridge office.

What do you enjoy when you’re not working?

At the moment I am doing plenty of DIY outside of work as we are renovating our house, although I’m not sure I’m enjoying it!

Are you a dog or cat person?

Definitely a cat person – I have three cats!!

What are you currently reading or listening to?

I am currently listening to the Harry Potter audio books (again).

Claim to fame?

I met Prince Phillip when I got my gold Duke of Edinburgh Award at St James Palace.

Phoebe Ryding, Senior Flood Risk and Drainage Engineer

Phoebe is a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager who has experience developing surface water drainage strategies which holistically manage surface water through the use of SuDS, as well as producing Flood Risk Assessments to support proposed development.

Alongside this, she has undertaken work with local authorities reviewing planning applications for Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) and has also worked with SuDS Approval Bodies (SABs), reviewing SAB applications and working on internal council housing schemes to ensure they comply with the Statutory SuDS Standards.

Get in touch with Phoebe: [email protected]

Find out more about our services here

Read more in our PJA People series here

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How can we future proof transport?

Transport is still responsible for almost a quarter of carbon dioxide global emissions† and the appetite to make big changes in sustainable development have picked up pace.

Events like COP27 have brought the climate change agenda even more front and centre with strongly worded reminders for humanity to ‘co-operate or perish’‡ being shared throughout the media prompting house buyers and businesses to place sustainability firmly on their list in what they look for in a ‘place’.

So how are developments likely to change to be more sustainable, and how can we provide the facilities people need now and future proof for the changes to come?

Flexible Parking Spaces
The relationship with the private car is set to change. In the next decade the shift from human-driven cars to autonomous vehicles will change the way in which we design places for people to live and work. An interconnected network of vehicles could replace most private transportation, and some public transport.

One of the biggest advantages of autonomous vehicles is their efficiency. Using real time tracking systems they will avoid congestion and use the more fuel efficient routes. And, whereas private cars largely lay dormant on driveways or in car parks for most of the day, an autonomous network could enable every car to be used for longer.

This network would negate the need for ‘two parking spaces per plot’ for each home and large expanses of car parking at places of work would be a thing of the past.

One way we are supporting developers to future proof for this is advising on adaptable parking spaces should demand reduce over time due to less direct car ownership. One allocated space per unit on average strikes a balance between the current appetite for parking and the impending change.

Flexibility for additional car ownership can be accommodated in ‘Car Barns’. These parking hubs offer the ability to securely store a second family vehicle in a central location within walking distance of the home. Once the impending changes reduce the need for car parking, the Car Barn can be repurposed, perhaps for a community space, park or for more homes.

Mobility Hubs
We’re supporting developers to produce adaptable ‘Mobility Hubs’: a central location within a development that provides multiple options for travel. Mobility Hubs not only serve as an interchange but also aim to improve the public realm by reducing car-dominated places, offer a community space and provide a logistics function such as parcel collection.

When integrated effectively into the local transport network and situated in locations that are convenient and align with local patterns of movement, mobility hubs can create positive behaviour change by encouraging people to think multi-modally and undertake multipurpose trips.

Whilst autonomous network options are developed, additional car usage can be accommodated through local car clubs housed within Mobility Hubs. Once the network is established, the Mobility Hub can then become a central location that supports the network for that area.

Parklets
Parklets offer up the opportunity to reallocate road space from on-street parking to community and sustainable transport uses.

Mobility hub parklets can accommodate a range of uses, for example, outdoor seating for local businesses, cycle parking, cycle and scooter hire hubs and electric vehicle charging points.

This type of road space reallocation can both support the local economy and support sustainable travel, whilst also improving the visual appearance of the street through the provision of planting and providing a sense of community.

Liveable Neighbourhoods
Creating sustainable places to live which support people to live and work within a localised area reduces the need to travel and the impact on the environment from transport. More and more, home buyers are looking for a place to live that offers a local community and a way of life that can be accessed by walking or cycling and not dependant on the private car.

We’re supporting clients to future proof developments by assessing existing travel patterns and comparing them to predicted travel behaviour. Considering future transport trends, we advise on what are the most valuable assets to a particular new development and how to design that place to become a vibrant community ready for future transport changes.

The future
PJA has long been ahead of the curve with the shift to sustainable transport planning, largely thanks to our Chairman Phil Jones who has helped bring about several active travel policies including the landmark LTN 1/20.

We support development with innovative cost-effective transport, engineering and placemaking solutions. These solutions not only provide for the now, but also plan for future needs.

As the pledged date for the UK to be net zero by 2050 gets closer, and with the climate change agenda consistently at the forefront, we understand the challenges faced by developers and are supporting them to shape their approach to future development.

Find out more about us here

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† BBC News, What can I do to curb climate change?, 7th November 2022

‡ BBC News, Summary, UN Chief António Guterres

Welcome to our new starters

A huge welcome to the new members of our team who have joined us over the last few months.

Our new faces have taken up roles right across the business in all service areas and locations.

We are so pleased to have you all on board and part of Team PJA.

Read more about our newest members of the team:

Oli Gladstone, Principal Street Designer, London

[email protected]

Oli is a Highways Engineer with over 7 years’ experience working on active travel and placemaking projects across the UK. Oli predominantly works on high quality walking and cycling infrastructure design. His focus as a designer is to create places that feel accessible to everyone, specialising in inclusive design and co-design. Prior to PJA Oli was a Senior Engineer at Sustrans, where he worked on a range of cycle routes, networks and community led projects. Oli has worked on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Tower Hamlets and Edinburgh, several TfL Quietway routes, Greenways in Sussex and Buckinghamshire and award-winning Ripple Greenway, a community led and designed linear park in Barking and Dagenham.

Holly Mullen, Principal Consultant, Bristol

[email protected]

Holly is Principal Consultant with 13 years’ experience in design and consultancy. Holly is an experienced engineer with skills predominantly in the design and delivery of walking and cycling infrastructure schemes from feasibility to construction.

She is passionate about sustainability and sustainable transport and takes great pride in being able to positively influence communities and public health through the built environment by designing spaces for people and creating healthy places which enable active travel.

Fel Llanora, Engineer, Reading

[email protected]

Fel is an Engineer working in the Reading office with over three years’ experience. She is experienced in highways, which included schemes and projects that involved resurfacing and highway improvements for private sectors. Fel has undertaken projects for its whole life cycle, from preliminary to construction stage.

Fel is a Graduate member of the ICE and is currently working towards Incorporated Engineer status (IEng).

Ben Turpin, Graduate Consultant, Birmingham

[email protected]

Ben joined the PJA Graduate Development Programme in 2022 after graduating from the University of Birmingham with a degree in Geography. He is based in the Birmingham Office with interests in rail and public transport.

As part of the PJA Graduate Development Programme, Ben has assisted in writing travel plans, high level highways advice and a range of other travel reports and summaries whilst gaining new skills in GIS.

Leo Ashby, Graduate Consultant, Birmingham

[email protected]

Leo is a Graduate Transport Planner who joined our Birmingham team in September 2022. His MSc in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Birmingham provides experience in transport policy and sustainable development practices. Leo has also acquired useful technical skills from his undergraduate degree in Physics, including coding and data analysis.

Isabela Martinez Timana, Graduate Consultant, London

[email protected]

Isabela joined the London office as a Graduate Consultant in 2022 after completing her master’s degree in Urban Strategies and Design at the University of Edinburgh. Following her interest in active travel and placemaking, for her dissertation she investigated public space quality issues in her hometown in Colombia.

She also has a first-class degree in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Dundee. Through her studies she gained valuable knowledge in stakeholder engagement and technical skills in GIS, which she has further developed at PJA.

Cerys Atchison, Consultant, Birmingham

[email protected]

Cerys is a Transport Planning consultant based in our Birmingham office. She graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2020 with a MSc in Urban and Regional Planning. She has over 2 years’ experience in the industry, obtaining experience in Transport Assessments, options appraisal, and business cases for both the public and private sector. She has also developed technical skills in GIS, data analysis and economic appraisal.

Andy Johnson, Associate, Reading

[email protected]

Andy is a Chartered Civil Engineer, specialising in Flood Risk and Drainage. He is passionate about sustainable drainage design that enhances the amenity, biodiversity and quality of a site and is enthusiastic to find innovative solutions that are efficient and cost effective for clients.

He is also an accredited CPD presenter offering sessions related to flood risk and drainage to companies in the UK.

Emily Cheung, Graduate Consultant, London

[email protected]

Emily joined the PJA Graduate Development Programme in 2022 in our London Office after graduating from University College London with a Msc in Urban Design and City Planning, prior to that she completed a BA in Urban Studies from the University of Hong Kong. Throughout her studies, she has established a life-long appetite to understand the urban realm and dedication to make better places to live. Emily’s education and experience have shaped her to be a passionate and creative urban practitioner with a range of practical capabilities including skills in ArcGIS, AutoCAD, SketchUp and Adobe Suite.

Kyle Carter, Technician, Birmingham

[email protected]

Kyle is a Civil Engineering Technician having completed his level 3 apprenticeship in Civil Engineering. He has gained knowledge and a better understanding of footway and carriageway resurfacing schemes having worked with local authorities, contractors, and designers throughout his apprenticeship. Kyle is now looking to expand on his skills and develop further with PJA.

Tom Hicks, Consultant, Reading

[email protected]

Tom is a consultant with three years’ experience based in our Reading office. He graduated from King’s College London with a bachelor’s degree in Geography.

Tom’s experience includes the preparation of Transport Assessments, Travel Plans and other technical documents for a range of schemes including residential, commercial, and industrial developments.

Would you like to be the next member of Team PJA?

We have a talented, committed and driven group of people waiting to welcome you, get in touch: please send a CV and covering letter to [email protected] setting out what you think you can bring to the business.

Or view our current posts here

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National Engineering Day: delivering complex flood and drainage projects

National Engineering Day aims to make the UK’s engineers and engineering more visible. This year, the focus is on showcasing how engineering improves lives so it’s the perfect opportunity to get an insight into the working life of one of our water resources engineers, Andy Johnson.

Andy is a Chartered Civil Engineer, specialising in flood risk and drainage and is a passionate advocate for sustainable drainage design. Enhancing the amenity, biodiversity and quality of places through innovative and cost-effective drainage and flood risk solutions is not only beneficial for local residents and wildlife but also has the opportunity to offset some of the environmental impact of development. With such an important role, we ask Andy to share his experience and insight into the world of water resources:

What is your role at PJA?
Our water resources team delivers complex flood and drainage projects and are experts in delivering combined engineering, environmental and sustainable solutions to support developers, housebuilders and local authorities in understanding and coping with flood risk.

What’s your career path so far?
I came into engineering accidentally. After completing a degree in mathematics, I started as the postboy at Hanson Building Products and, after showing I had skills in AutoCAD and design, I started working in the drawing office.

Later I moved to RPS (formerly Burks Green), where I developed my skills in civil and structural engineering, completing a BEng and MEng part time while working on notable schemes such as the Drax Power Plant and Blackpool Tram Depot.

I became a bit of a drainage design specialist, which I developed further when moving south to Patrick Parsons (formerly Stilwell Partnership). I expanded into flood risk and sustainable drainage and quickly built up a strong workload and client base with delivery of good designs and strong technical solutions. During this time, I became a chartered engineer with the Institution of Civil Engineers and a certified European Engineer.

After nine good years at Parsons, I moved to PJA to shift slightly from the hard design and detail of civils projects to water management and a more strategy-based role.

I am an advisor to clients on sustainable and efficient drainage solutions, incorporating all elements of the water cycle, and a huge enthusiast for enhancing places through cleverly designed total water solutions rather than just looking at water as a problem to solve. The water team at PJA keep ahead of current hot topics, such as water neutrality, and changes in legislation and I have been pleased to assist in creating some information pieces for that and be able to offer sound advice to clients.

What’s the proudest moment in your career?
Recently my interest in research and general curiosity inspired me to produce several articles and pieces that I did mainly for my own knowledge, but also got quite a lot of traction online and good input from fellow professionals.

This led to being asked to write a piece for the New Civil Engineer, which was published in their online magazine. Sadly, it wasn’t selected for the print version, but I was still quite proud to be recognised and published, rather than just being another engineer in the field.

A close second to this would be my recent acceptance as a CEng reviewer in the Institution of Civil Engineers, in which I hope to assist and develop the next generation of engineers and show that routes to chartership can be achieved with a certain specialism (as I did with drainage design).

What are your project highlights?
The highlights for me are not really the prestige or size of a scheme, but the solution I developed for it and the problem I solved. There were many complex and interesting schemes and I had to think out of the box more times than not to make a system work. I developed great working relationships with clients and have been the go-to person on new schemes, which means a lot to me to be thought of a someone who “knows their stuff”.

What’s your advice for someone starting out in a career similar to yours?
It’s always difficult to know what you want to do with your life when just starting out. If I had known then what I know now, I would have chosen a career path rather than just falling into it by chance. But if I can give one piece of advice, it’s to want to know everything and be curious about things. If I see something online or in a project and I don’t know what it is, I go find out and it really does make you a more rounded engineer and person (plus I usually end up writing an article about it).

What do you do when you’re not working?
I am a proud and happy father to twin girls Amber & Mara, born in March, so that’s pretty much all I do outside of work now, apart from an occasional few hours on the PlayStation!

I am passionate about pollution and sustainability, so am also an ambassador for a charity called Stormwater Shepherds. They aim to target pollution in watercourses and rivers through action, expertise, and education. I help run watercourse clean-ups as well as offering my knowledge and experience into different research projects. Looking at different areas of stormwater management and promoting good design principles supported by my work output. I feel that the area of design and management of surface water is changing constantly and there is a huge opportunity to promote ways of design that have multiple benefits to multiple stakeholders.

How have you found working for PJA?
Having the support of the team, who genuinely want me to do work that I enjoy and build up the business around my strengths is fantastic. I like how all staff are involved in everything work and non-work related and are so enthused about extra-curricular activities like the wellbeing team, volunteer and social events and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. PJA appear to have the ethos that happy workers are better workers, and back it up with action. I am really enjoying it so far and excited to see how my career develops here in the future.

Get in touch with Andy: [email protected]

Find out more on our water resource services here

Sign up for more news from PJA here

Andy Johnson, Associate

He is also an accredited CPD presenter offering sessions related to flood risk and drainage to companies in the UK.

Find out more

For more information please contact:

National Engineering Day: delivering complex flood and drainage projects Email

PJA People: Dan Bowditch

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 Transport Consultant Dan Bowditch, based in our London office:

Tell us what you do at PJA

I’m a transport planner based in our London team. I get involved in projects across the country for both public sector and private sector clients. At the moment I’m working on several Local Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for local authorities and a lot of my day-to-day work involves report writing and data analysis using GIS.

What’s your career path so far?

I joined PJA in 2018 after graduating from University of Southampton with a geography degree. I worked in the Birmingham office for a few years before making the move down to London, where I’ve now been working for the past year or so.

What do you enjoy when you’re not working?

Outside of work I enjoy running, walking, collecting records and live music. I’m also a big NFL fan and support the Philadelphia Eagles. Hopefully one day I’ll manage to travel to Philadelphia to watch a game in person!

Are you a dog or cat person?

Is it cheating if I say both? I’ve grown up with cats but I also love dogs and I’m hoping to get my own as soon as possible – Whippets are my favourite breed.

What are you currently reading or listening to?

I’m currently listening to ‘Blending by High Vis’ which is a great new album from an up-and-coming British band. My favourite podcast to listen to is ‘The Wolf and Owl’ with Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis.

Claim to fame?

Halfway through last season, I reached 99th in the world on Fantasy Football out of around 10 million players. I dropped off a bit towards the end of the season and ended up finishing 12,000th however I still managed to win the PJA league!

Dan Bowditch, Consultant

Dan is a consultant based in our London office. He graduated from the University of Southampton in 2018 with a First Class Honours degree in Geography, and has since accumulated four years of experience working at PJA.

Dan has experience preparing Transport Assessments, Travel Plans and other technical documents for a range of developments for both private and public sector clients. Dan is also able to undertake various types of GIS analysis to support projects.

Get in touch with Dan: [email protected]

Find out more about our services here

Read more in our PJA People series here

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Shift in policy challenges for developers

“It’s all change for transport at new residential and commercial developments” says Steve Bates, Associate Director at our Birmingham office.

Steve started at PJA in 2013 when there were just 12 employees in the company. 9 years on and Steve now heads up our Midlands’ development planning team along with fellow Associate Director Chris Stack.

The team support developers’ planning needs by identifying appropriate transport strategies, access solutions; and providing support through the planning application process, with Transport Assessments and Travel Plan led solutions to help secure planning permissions.

Steve recalls how only a few years ago they would have demonstrated how increasing highway capacity, via junction upgrades and the provision of new link roads was the way to unlock development, but, with the introduction of new policies in favour of more sustainable modes of transport including the LTN 1/20 guidance, and increased scrutiny on air quality impacts, his team instead help developers demonstrate how cycling and walking infrastructure can reduce traffic on roads.

“Consistently increasing highway capacity wasn’t a sustainable direction so it makes sense that policy is changing in favour of developments with less priority for cars and more provision for cycling and walking, as well as public transport.” Steve says.

“Schemes now face scrutiny under LTN 1/20 standards, with Active Travel England set to become a statutory consultee with responsibility for ensuring that pedestrians and cyclists are properly accommodated, rather than being an afterthought. Many authorities, with our help, are developing transport and movement strategies that prioritise active travel and public transport, and it’s been a noticeable change in the industry since I started my career in 2006. So, developers need to take this shift in policy seriously.”

PJA has long been ahead of the curve with the shift to sustainable transport planning, largely thanks to our Chairman Phil Jones who has helped bring about several active travel policies including the landmark LTN 1/20. PJA is also part of the consultancy team assisting Active Travel England. We therefore understand the challenges faced by developers, helping them shape their approach to active travel to navigate the planning process.

We are adopting alternative approaches on a number of projects, contact Steve to find out more: [email protected]

Find out more on our services here

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Steve Bates, Associate Director

Steve is a Transport Planner with 14 years’ of experience, specialising in the planning and delivery of regeneration and development sites. He has worked with a number of private and public sector clients providing transport planning advice on various residential, commercial and educational schemes.

His experience includes the production of Transport Assessments, Travel Plans, access feasibility and design, negotiating S106 Agreements, masterplanning input and a range of technical advice.

BA (Hons)

Find out more

For more information please contact:

Steve Bates Email 0121 289 9212