Don’t be afraid to say ‘I’m great at this’; learn everything you can from your colleagues, both junior and senior, and remember that women have an extremely valuable contribution to make.

Top advice from our engineering stars of today’s International Women’s Day celebrations: Project Manager Emma Wood and Flood Risk and Drainage Engineer Phoebe Ryding, both in our Birmingham office.

Emma Wood

What was your career path, how did you get to where you are today?

My career path is not typical of the engineering sector, I actually have a BA in Media & Society.  My degree taught me that the message you give is defined by those receiving it, not what you say.

When I graduated, I struggled to find a role in something I wanted to do.  I ended up with a job as an Accounts & Admin trainee for a shipping firm – this was firmly due to my aptitude for maths and logical thinking.  When I relocated to the Midlands I took an accounts type role at a large Engineering firm.  From there I moved within the company to an internal relations role, and then to project accounts.  I stayed in the same team for the next 6 years working my way up to Project Manager.  Most of learning how to do my job was from those around me, for which I am very grateful – don’t underestimate what your colleagues know, both junior & senior!

I moved to PJA 12 months ago.  I wanted to work here primarily because we are a company who prides themselves on excellent delivery to clients; and I love to feel proud of my job.

The thing I enjoy most about engineering project management is that it is solution-based problem-solving.  I feel I achieve something (if only small) every day and I am always learning.

What do you think is your greatest achievement within your career to date?

I’m not great at defining achievements, but my proudest moment was when former colleagues asked me to join them at PJA, and I knew I had made an impact on them.

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?

Don’t be afraid to stand up and say ‘I’m great at this’.

Ask your family (particularly grandparents if you can) what they think you are good at if you are not sure.

Whatever you decide to do, you can always change your mind.

[email protected]

Phoebe Ryding

What was your career path, how did you get to where you are today?  

Throughout school I had a keen interest in the environment. My favourite subject  was always geography and  I completed my degree in Geography in 2016. Throughout my degree the modules I enjoyed the most related to River Catchments and Water Processes and Quality. This degree enabled me to travel to places such as Columbia where I researched water environments in the Amazon. It was this research that led me to explore a career in Water Management and ultimately in the engineering sector.

I have now been in the industry for 4 ½ years and worked to develop myself professionally during this time.  I have jumped at opportunities to undertake a huge variety of both public and private sector work. I welcomed opportunities to work with Lead Local Flood Authorities developing policy as well as working with private developers to shape the way the water will be managed in new developments across the UK.

What is your greatest achievement within your career? 

My greatest achievement is seeing a project I have worked on go from drawings on my desk to construction out on site. It is highly rewarding to see the time, hard work and attention to detail that I put into planning of water schemes come to fruition. I have recently enjoyed being able to attend site visits for a river realignment scheme which I played a part in designing. Going out on site to see different elements physically installed has been an invaluable experience and helped me to develop my skills for future schemes.

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers? 

I think it’s really important for women to be aware that there are vast and varied types of opportunities within the engineering industry. These are career paths that are interesting, valued and worth pursuing. Diversity will strengthen the industry and help us to provide better designed developments for the future. Women have an extremely valuable contribution to make to all aspects of engineering.

There are already so many fantastic female role models that I look up to and have worked with over my short time in the sector. It is so important to get more young women into the industry to become future role models and leaders within engineering.

[email protected]

In part 2 of our International Women’s Day celebrations, we talk to two members of our transport planning team: Associate Claire Harrison from our Reading office and Principal Consultant Kay Nicholls from our Birmingham office. 

They talk children, winning awards and the importance of self–belief. 

Claire Harrison 

What was your career path, how did you get to where you are today? 

I achieved a 2.1 in my BSc Human Geography degree from The University of Reading. Afterwards I found it very difficult to find work experience in transport planning with little knowledge of the fact that within the engineering companies is where you’ll find transport planners! I decided to go travelling to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji with my friend and spend the summer teaching English to school children in Northern Spain (Basque region). On my return, my mum had lined up a job interview for me at WSP having attended a public consultation event close to our home. Thankfully they liked me at interview and gave me my first job as a Graduate Engineer. Whilst at WSP they funded me to study for my MSc Transport degree, an intercollegiate course at Imperial College London and University College London. 

Since then, I have worked for private sector clients in transport planning at PBA, PFA Consulting, Stuart Michael Associates and now, PJA. I specialise in the preparation of Transport Assessments, Transport Statements, Travel Plans and supporting projects through the local planning process. I have vast experience in the implementation of residential and site wide Travel Plans across various sites in the UK as part of a Travel Plan Co-ordinator role. 

What do you think is your greatest achievement within your career to date? 

In 2019, I was the first person in the country to be awarded the Modeshift STARS Bronze Accreditation for sustainable travel initiatives for a Travel Plan site in Ipswich. 

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers? 

Not to be put off by setbacks. Keep believing in themselves that they can achieve whatever they want to. All careers are available to them if they want them.   

[email protected] 

Kay Nicholls

What was your career path, how did you get to where you are today? 

I have always had a keen interest in numbers and problem solving. I really enjoyed maths throughout school and college and decided to pursue a maths degree. When embarking on a maths degree, I didn’t really know what career I would follow afterwards, but hoped it would present me with various employment opportunities in the future. 

Before graduating, I started job hunting and stumbled across some transport planning vacancies. Like a lot of people not involved in the industry, I didn’t even realise that transport planning existed. When I found out more, I was fascinated about the influence I could have in shaping the way people travel. 

I started my career in Development Planning involved in assessing the transport impacts of development. Whilst I have broadened my experience since, my heart is still in Development Planning. Since working with PJA, I have really enjoyed applying best practise in everything I do. We work hard to make a difference and to design places which are great to live in and work. 

What do you think is your greatest achievement within your career to date? 

I have been involved in a securing planning consent for a range of different schemes some of which have been extremely challenging. This spans from substantial urban extensions, town centre redevelopment schemes and very recently a new national landmark.  

Although it can be tough at times to get a scheme over the line, once you succeed, it is a brilliant feeling. The diversity of schemes and unique challenges keep the job interesting.  

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers? 

I would advise women considering their career options that gender is not a barrier to working in any industry.  

When I started my first graduate role back in 2007, the gender balance was definitely tipped towards males. This never presented any issues to me but today it is brilliant to be part of a gender balanced team with some extremely talented women as well as working with some incredible female co-professionals. 

I am a mum of two young children, I have taken two years out on maternity leave during my career and currently work part time. I have never felt that any of this has ever prevented me progressing in my career or taking on interesting projects. 

[email protected] 

Happy International Women’s Day! This annual celebration highlights the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women while promoting equality and gender parity.

We’re celebrating all week by interviewing some of our brilliant women team members who have helped make PJA the success it is today. We ask about their career paths and achievements as well as their advice for women starting out on their careers.

First up is Annabel Keegan, Associate in our placemaking team in our Birmingham office:

What was your career path, how did you get to where you are today? 

I studied a BA in Architecture at the University of Liverpool, and then on graduation was offered a position in a transport planning team in a large multi-disciplinary consultancy.  Not what I had originally intended (or applied for!), but I accepted and found that I really enjoyed it.  My employer then sponsored me to study part-time for a MA Urban Design, which allowed me to combine these two skills, and develop my passion for street based urban design and placemaking.

What do you think is your greatest achievement within your career to date? 

Over the last few years I have been working with Birmingham City Council and Homes England to develop a masterplan for the 2022 Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village.  This has been a fantastic project, made more exciting by the fact the games will be hosted in my home city.

The speed at which the construction is progressing is amazing; you don’t often get to see the vision you helped to develop take shape so quickly.

The Commonwealth Games has given Birmingham a wonderful opportunity to bring about transformational change in areas including Perry Barr as well as providing a wide-ranging social, economic, cultural and sporting legacy for the whole region.

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers? 

Be willing to embrace change.  I’m a big believer in embracing the opportunities presented to you, working hard and making the most of them is really important.

I was made redundant in 2010 from a job I loved, and took on a completely different, new role working in Change Management for a construction company.

I had never done anything like it before, but embraced the challenge, gained some new qualifications and learnt a lot of useful skills which have been transferable to my current job.  I think the ability to embrace change and make the most of it in the job market is of utmost importance.

For more information on our placemaking services, please contact: [email protected]

World Book Day is all about promoting reading for pleasure and the power of books. With that in mind we asked our team ‘which book influenced you in your career?’ From science fiction to technical manuals, the answers might have you reaching for a new sort of book you never thought of!

“Many years ago Radio 4 broadcast The Man Who Planted Trees. I listened to it in awe and went out immediately and brought the book. This is a book you can read in less than an hour but can influence you for a lifetime. The story by Jean Giono is a very simple story which works on many levels as the shepherd plants trees over many years interspersed by the horrors of war.”

Andrew Catmur, Director
[email protected]

“The book ‘The Image of the City’ was on the reading list for my undergraduate course in the 1980s. It is very much about how people interact with their surroundings. Written in 1959 it was way ahead of its time and still very relevant to our present day.”

Adrian Lord, Associate Director
[email protected]

“I had shortly started my working journey as a trainee cartographer in the mid-90’s when my sister gave me a copy of “Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time”, I had always struggled with patience (or time) to lose myself in fiction but with a scientific educational background, this book massively appealed. It’s a fascinating book covering the history of astronomy, navigation, and discovery which inspired my love of maps, science and travel. A great read that should appeal to a very wide audience.”

Brian Norman, GIS Manager
[email protected]

“There are lots of books I’ve enjoyed reading and come back to time and again. The most enjoyable are those that about how people have had to dig deep into their inner soul to overcome dangerous or life threatening events, such as Joe Simpson’s “Touching the Void” or Robin Knox-Johnston’s “The Columbus Venture” both of which are true adventures of dealing with adversity, having a sense of self believe, maintaining a positive mind set despite the circumstances has helped me understand what can be achieved. These are the books that have most influenced me and helped me deal with adversity.”

Jerry Muscroft, Director
[email protected]

“When I was at primary school I ordered a book from the ‘Book Club’. I ordered a design and typography book that came with grid lined practice sheets and techniques to create different types of lettering. I treasured that book and still have it today. I swear it’s what started me on the path to training as a Graphic Designer as in later years I came to realise it contained the perfect cross over between fine art and communications which suited my skillset and career ambitions.”

Julie Cadwallader, Marketing and Graphic Design Manager
[email protected]

“The Weirdstone of Brisingamen is the story of two children, Colin and Susan, who must rescue the weirdstone jewel from the grasps of a dark spirit Nastrond.  The adventure sees them lost in a labyrinth of mine-shafts and caverns in the old dwarf caves of Fundindelve . I never really realised it at the time, but it definitely gave me an interest in landscapes, rocks and mining perhaps leading me on to what I do today and definitely set the tone for my later taste in books!”

Michelle Lee, Associate Director
[email protected]

“I have to admit it doesn’t have the most stimulating of titles, but the book that opened the door for me to the transport profession was ‘Operational Urban Models – An Introduction’ by David Foot. As a Geography undergraduate, it taught me how to assess the repercussions of land use changes, including on transport, and gave me some cracking material for use in the interview at which I landed my first transport planning job. Re-reading it now, and given the advances in computing since then, it does seem very dated but I do have a lot to thank the book for!”

Mike Salter, Director
[email protected]

“When growing up I read science fiction and almost nothing else – Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Bradbury. One short story of Ray Bradbury’s that’s stayed with me is The Pedestrian, about a man who just goes for a walk around his neighbourhood in the evening and there’s no one else on the streets. The only signs of life he sees are through the windows of the houses where everyone is staring at the flickering light of their TV screens. His behaviour is so aberrant he gets arrested by the Police and is driven away. The end.”

Phil Jones, Chairman
[email protected]

If you’d like to find out more about PJA and what we do, please find further information here

If you’ve been influenced to think about your career, please find further information on our current available posts and how to apply here

Rydyn ni’n falch iawn o’n gwaith yng Nghymru sydd wedi ennill gwobrau, ac i nodi Dydd Gŵyl Dewi rydyn ni’n rhannu rhai o’n prosiectau gorau yn y wlad hyfryd hon.

English

Rydyn ni wedi bod yn gweithio gyda Llywodraeth Cymru ar Ganllawiau Teithio Llesol, yn hyrwyddo cerdded a beicio gwell yng Nghymru ac rydyn ni’n rhan o weithgor o bartïon sydd â diddordeb yn y gwaith o ddatblygu Siarter Creu Lleoedd newydd i Gymru. Mae’r fenter, sy’n cael ei rhedeg gan Gomisiwn Dylunio Cymru, yn ceisio gwella ansawdd dylunio mewn datblygiadau newydd a hyrwyddo creu lleoedd.

Fe wnaeth ein Phil Jones ni helpu i greu hanes pan gefnogodd gweinidogion Cymru y cyfyngiad cyflymder cenedlaethol newydd o 20mya ym mis Gorffennaf 2020 yn unol â chyngor gan Grŵp Tasglu 20mya Cymru, a gadeiriwyd gan Phil. Ar yr un pryd, bu’n cadeirio Tasglu Parcio ar Balmentydd Cymru gan roi cyngor i Lywodraeth Cymru ar gryfhau gorfodaeth yn erbyn gyrwyr sy’n parcio ar balmentydd.

Bu ein peirianwyr yn gweithio ar gynllun arobryn yng Nglan Llyn. Mae hen waith dur Llanwern yn cael ei drawsnewid yn gymdogaeth newydd, gan ddarparu 4,000 o gartrefi newydd, ac mae’n un o’r safleoedd ailddatblygu tir llwyd mwyaf yn y DU. Enillodd y prosiect Wobr RTPI Cymru am Ragoriaeth ym maes Cynllunio yn 2020 ac mae wedi cyrraedd y rhestr fer ar gyfer Gwobrau Rhagoriaeth ym maes Cynllunio RTPI eleni.

Cawsom effaith gyda Choed Darcy, y datblygiad cyntaf erioed o burfa olew i’w defnyddio yn y pen preswyl. Bydd y rhaglen ddatblygu gyffrous yn arwain at adeiladu tua 2,500 o dai newydd a fydd yn darparu 30,000 o swyddi newydd yn yr ardal. Enillydd gwobr arall, y prosiect hwn oedd y Prosiect Adfywio Trefol Gorau. Fel rhan o’n gwasanaeth, fe wnaethon ni gynghori ar gloddio a thrin dros 600,000cu m o bridd ac adfer ac ailgylchu dros 1.5 miliwn litr o olew.

Mae ein tîm creu lleoedd, mewn partneriaeth â’r pensaer blaenllaw BDP, wrthi’n datblygu uwchgynlluniau ar gyfer Canol Dinas Abertawe a Chanol y Dref Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr i helpu i fframio datblygiad newydd a’r amgylchfyd cyhoeddus, ac ym Mangor, fe wnaethon ni weithio gyda LDA Design ar uwchgynllun i wneud y ddinas yn lle deniadol, llwyddiannus a chynaliadwy i bobl.

Mewn partneriaeth â Phrifysgol Abertawe, fe wnaeth ein tîm weithio gyda Sant Modwen i ddarparu canolfan ryngwladol o fri ar gyfer academia yng Nghampws y Bae, Abertawe. Mae’r hen safle storio petrolewm hwn yn cynnwys dros 1m troedfedd sgwâr o lety, ystafelloedd addysgu a gofod ymchwil ac academaidd o’r radd flaenaf ar gyfer dros 5,000 o fyfyrwyr a 1,000 o staff. Enillodd y prosiect hwn wobr hefyd, gan gipio Prosiect Adfywio’r Flwyddyn RICS Cymru a’r Wobr Rhagoriaeth Adeiladu ar gyfer yr Adeiladau Addysgol Gorau heb sôn mai dyma un o’r unig gampysau yn y DU sydd â mynediad uniongyrchol i’r traeth gyda’i phromenâd ei hun ar lan y môr!

Gan barhau â thema Abertawe, rydyn ni’n helpu i ddarparu tua 300 o gartrefi newydd, coetir a mannau gwyrdd agored yn Hendrefoilan, cyn safle llety myfyrwyr. Mae gennyn ni hefyd brofiad helaeth o gynnal asesiadau amgylcheddol mewn hen safleoedd diwydiannol ar draws Cymru, gan gynnwys hen Weithfeydd Cemegol Bae Baglan a Bae Angle yn Sir Benfro, y naill a’r llall yn dir diffaith rydyn ni’n helpu ei droi at ddefnydd buddiol.

Rydyn ni mor falch bod ein cyngor ar drafnidiaeth, peirianneg a chreu lleoedd yn cael effaith mor gadarnhaol ar hyd a lled y wlad. Cymru am byth!

I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am wasanaethau a phrosiectau PJA yng Nghymru, cysylltwch â: [email protected]

Proud of our extensive award-winning work in Wales, in honour of St. David’s Day we’re sharing some of our best projects in this wonderful country.

Cymraeg

We’ve been working with the Welsh Government on Active Travel Guidance, promoting better walking and cycling in Wales and are part of a working group of interested parties in the development of a new Placemaking Charter for Wales. Operated by the Design Commission for Wales, the initiative seeks to enhance design quality in new developments and promote placemaking.

Our own Phil Jones helped make history when ministers in Wales backed the new national 20mph default speed limit in July 2020 as advised by the Welsh 20mph Task Force Group which Phil chaired. He simultaneously chaired the Welsh Pavement Parking Task Force providing advice to the Welsh Government on strengthening enforcement against drivers parking on pavements.

Our engineers worked on the award winning Glan Llyn. The former Llanwern steelworks is being transformed into a new neighbourhood, delivering 4,000 new homes, and is one of the UK’s largest brownfield redevelopment sites. The project scooped an RTPI Cymru Award for Planning Excellence in 2020 and has been shortlisted as a finalist in the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence this year.

We made an impact with Coed Darcy, the first ever redevelopment of an oil refinery for residential end use. The exciting development programme will see approximately 2,500 new homes being built providing 30,000 new jobs in the area. Another award winner, this project picked up Best Urban Regeneration Project. As part of our service offering, we advised on the excavation and treatment of over 600,000cu m of soil and the recovery and recycling of over 1.5 million litres of oil.

Our placemaking team, in partnership with leading architect BDP, are developing masterplan ideas for Swansea City Centre and Bridgend Town Centre to help frame new development and public realm, while in Bangor, we worked with LDA Design on a masterplan to shape the town into an attractive, successful and sustainable place for people.

In partnership with Swansea University, our team worked with St. Modwen to deliver an internationally acclaimed centre for academia at Bay Campus, Swansea. This former petroleum storage facility site boasts over 1m sq ft of accommodation, teaching and state-of-the-art academic and research space for over 5,000 students and 1,000 staff. Yet another award winner, this project scooped the RICS Wales Regeneration Project of the Year and the Building Excellence Award for Best Educational Building not to mention it is one of the only campuses in the UK with direct access to the beach with its own seafront promenade!

Continuing the Swansea theme, we are helping to deliver around 300 new homes, woodland and open green space at Hendrefoilan, a former student accommodation site. We also have extensive experience of undertaking environmental assessments of former industrial sites across Wales including the former Baglan Bay Chemical Works and Angle Bay in Pembrokeshire, both of which are derelict land we are helping to turn to beneficial usage.

We’re so proud that our transport, engineering and placemaking advice is making such a positive impact across the length and the breadth of the country. Cymru am byth!

For more information about PJA’s services and projects in Wales, please contact: [email protected]

It has been a busy year so far with no less than 12 fantastic new people joining the team. Our new colleagues are based across our UK offices and range from graduate right up to director level.

With specialisms including transport planning, GIS and flood risk and drainage, we are delighted to have our new starters on board to help respond to growing levels of client work.

Find out a bit more about them and get in touch for help with your project:

Birmingham 

John Myatt, Associate Director – Transport Planning 

Previously at Birmingham City Council, John will lead and grow our public sector transport planning offer in the Midlands, to meet growing client demand following the launch of the government’s post-Covid Levelling up and Build Back Better initiatives.

[email protected]

Andrew Nixon, Associate Director – Engineering 

Previously at WSP, Andrew leads our Birmingham Civil Engineering Team, primarily focussing on Section 278 access junctions and primary highway infrastructure. He advises developers, designers, planners and local authorities on local and national projects.  

[email protected]

Alison Caldwell, Associate – Engineering

Alison is a Chartered Civil Engineer and joins from WSP. She has extensive experience in flood risk and sustainable water management, drainage design, green-blue infrastructure, integrated water management, flood risk mitigation and flood modelling in the UK and internationally. 

[email protected]

Phoebe Ryding, Flood Risk and Drainage – Engineer 

Phoebe has joined from WSP and specialises in the design of sustainable drainage strategies working closely with Lead Local Flood Authorities and SuDS Approval Bodies. 

[email protected]

Shannon Connolly, Consultant – Transport Planning 

Previously at Hub Transport Planning, Shannon produces transport assessments and statements, travel plans, junction modelling and access design for developments ranging from residential, commercial and regeneration schemes to education and religious sites.  

[email protected]

Emma O’Kane, Senior Accounts Assistant

Emma has over 17 years’ experience within the finance industry and assists with the preparation of accounts.

[email protected]

Cambridge 

Mike Salter, Director 

Mike has joined from Mott McDonald and has overall responsibility for our Cambridge office and work in the East of England. Get in touch for transport planning, placemaking and engineering advice. 

Read more about Mike here

[email protected]

London 

Rebecca Jones, Principal Consultant

Rebecca is a highway engineer and transport planner based in our London office. She has over ten years’ experience in the sustainable transport industry, and has worked within the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Read more about Rebecca here

[email protected]

Manchester  

Catriona Swanson, Associate – Transport Planning 

Previously at Arup and Salford City Council, Catriona advises public and private sector clients on cycling and walking schemes as well as our wider expertise in designing better places.

More details on Catriona here

[email protected]

Reading 

Brian Norman, GIS Manager 

Brian has joined from global engineering firm Jacobs and has over 20 years’ experience in the capture, analysis, and integration of spatial data within transport, water and environment projects. 

[email protected]

Claire Harrison, Associate – Transport Planning  

Award-winning Claire joins us from Stuart Michael Associates and has over 16 years in the transport planning sector across a variety of developments. She advises on transport assessments, transport statements, travel plans and supports projects through the planning process. 

[email protected]

Emily Daffern, Graduate Consultant – Transport Planning

Emily recently graduated from Newcastle University with a BA (Hons) in Geography, which focussed on sustainable development data analysis. 

[email protected]

A career with PJA offers the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects, within a responsive and dynamic environment, and with excellent career progression prospects. Find further information on our current available posts and how to apply here.

Sign up for more news from PJA here

The urban extension is the third phase of new development at Brockhill East, Redditch. The area is allocated for cross-boundary development in both the Redditch and Bromsgrove Local Plans.

Following detailed pre-application engagement with Worcestershire County Council, Highways England and Bromsgrove District Council’s independent transport consultants, a hybrid planning application for 960 homes and a new local centre was submitted in 2019. Planning permission was secured in early 2021.

PJA prepared a Transport Assessment to accompany the application, which included:

• A VISSIM micro-simulation assessment of M42 Junction 2;
• Design of shuttle signals beneath a railway bridge to provide a safe pedestrian route;
• A junction improvement scheme on the A441, requiring purchase of land from the local authority to deliver increased capacity and a new pedestrian crossing to respond to local community concerns.

This is the second significant development in Redditch delivered by PJA. In 2020 we also helped secure planning consent for 2,560 homes at the Foxlydiate cross-boundary urban extension.

For more information, contact [email protected]

We’re delighted to welcome Catriona Swanson as an Associate at our Manchester office, which serves the North West.  

She will support director Chris Sibthorpe in advising public and private sector clients on cycling and walking schemes as well as our wider expertise in designing better places.   

Catriona joins from Arup where she set up and ran the North West and Yorkshire active travel team and worked on regional and national projects.   

She was leading Transport for Greater Manchester’s Active Neighbourhoods programme, working with Sustrans and 10 local authorities to deliver pilot active travel neighbourhoods.   

Previously, she spent 11 years at Salford City Council leading on award-winning active travel schemes in addition to public realm and development planning projects.   

 Catriona’s relationship with PJA goes back several years, having commissioned us to produce Salford’s cycle network plan. This underpinned a series of successful funding bids as part of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network programme.   

Catriona said: “I consider PJA to be the UK’s leading active travel consultancy so am really thrilled to be joining Chris and the team.   

 “These are exciting times for active travel with more funding and political will than ever and, at last, strong design guidance with the recent publication of the new cycling infrastructure local transport note which PJA co-authored.   

“I’m very excited to be able to combine my experience as well as my own personal passion for better walking and cycling infrastructure in this new role. I look forward to delivering transformational schemes and growing our presence in the North West.”   

Chris added: “We opened the PJA Manchester office less than a year ago to respond to the rush in demand for advice on active travel schemes in the North West.   

 “Our client base is already quickly growing and I’m delighted to have Catriona on board to deliver our high quality, people-focussed design solutions.   

“She brings a wealth of experience as well as knowledge of the political landscape that will hugely benefit our clients – who include local authorities, developers, house builders and land promoters.”   

 Catriona can be contacted at [email protected] / 07745 540067.  

Our Chairman Phil Jones will speak at the virtual Shrewsbury Big Town Plan Festival on Tuesday, January 26.

The Festival is a series of debates and discussions around the Masterplan Vision – which explores how Shrewsbury town centre can improve and develop over the next 20 years, and builds on the priorities established in the 2018 Big Town Plan.

Phil will be part of the Better Movement and Healthy Streets session from 11am to 12 noon, which will also feature Shropshire Council and Shropshire Cycle Hub.

Phil, a government-appointed High Street Task Force Expert, said: “As Shrewsbury grows and develops, better movement will be crucial in making it an accessible and attractive place to live, work and visit. We will also discuss how well-designed streets that encourage more walking and cycling will bring benefits for people, businesses and the environment.”

Phil’s involvement with Shrewsbury stretches back over 20 years – he helped design the High Street public realm improvements in the 1990s that gave much-needed space back to pedestrians.  More recently he has worked with LDA on the movement strategy for the Big Town Plan, the redesign of Castle Street and the redevelopment of the Riverside shopping centre to form a new mixed-use quarter.   

Since last Autumn, Phil and colleagues have been reviewing the Covid-19 emergency traffic arrangements in the town centre and identifying potential short and medium-term measures to make conditions better for walking, cycling, public transport and for local residents. 

Book your place on the Better Movement and Healthy Streets session here  

View the Masterplan Vision here and the Big Town Plan here