PJA helped to secure funds of up to £20m for the UK Central Hub in Solihull from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), to deliver a major infrastructure improvement alongside the HS2 development.

The Hub is a major driver of economic growth in the West Midlands, comprising a number of internationally important businesses and organisations, which include the NEC, Birmingham Airport, Jaguar Land Rover and Birmingham Business Park.

The Hub also includes the 340-acre Arden Cross development site, which will be home to the new HS2 Interchange Station.

The WMCA Board has now approved funding of £19.95m to upgrade work on the key access point to the station and surrounding area, which will be critical for the future development of Arden Cross as a high-value, mixed-use site.

This will allow for future widening of a new roundabout being built by HS2 Ltd over the railway line. Originally planned to only accommodate HS2-related traffic, the wider roundabout will support the additional traffic associated with regional growth, including plans to create a mixed-use development around the HS2 Interchange Station.

The roundabout will also be the main access route to Arden Cross and will ensure there will be enough capacity for housing and economic growth that has the potential to create 6,400 new jobs and generate up to £426m GVA per annum.

HS2 Ltd will build a three-lane roundabout to carry the A452 over the new HS2 railway track. This additional funding will allow for the future provision of a fourth lane on the bridges, traffic signals to ensure the junction operates safely and additional earthworks inside and outside the proposed roundabout ready for additional lanes to be added when required. This is being planned into the project now so there is no additional cost or major disruption at a later stage.

PJA undertook preliminary design, traffic modelling and economic appraisal of the scheme, then provided key inputs into the Full Business Case that supported the successful funding application.

Early preparatory work is already underway with more advanced work expected to start next year (2020).

For more information, contact:
Tom Millard
[email protected]

In celebration of European Mobility Week we caught up with Beth Linnell, Transport Consultant in our Birmingham office, to find out why, come rain or shine, she’s making her commute to work by foot.

Why do you enjoy walking to work each day?

I enjoy walking to work each day for a couple of reasons. Having commuted to work on buses, tubes and trains previously, I enjoy not being reliant on a train being on time, or stressing about what to do when they’re inevitably cancelled or delayed.

I’m a big fan of walking wherever possible, and like knowing that I’ve done some exercise without having to dedicate time in the evenings or weekends to doing something active.

My walk to work also gives me an opportunity to plan my tasks for the day and organise my thoughts. I’m quite lucky that in the summer I walk along a cycle route, which is lovely in the sunshine.

How long is your commute?

My walk to work is just over a mile and usually takes around 15 minutes.

Other than your commute, do you walk anywhere else?

I’m always up for a good walk, especially if it’s nice weather! I’ve been hiking around the Lake District, Snowdonia and Cornwall, although I’m happy to take on cities too. I’m keen to explore places and walking helps me do that.

What would your top tips be for anyone thinking about starting to commute to work by foot?

My tips would be:

• Find a nice route. I try to avoid busy roads and steep hills if possible.
• Invest in a good pair of shoes.
• Be prepared to get wet! Even with a waterproof jacket, shoes and umbrella I’ve gotten soaked on my way to the office a few times.

Beth is a Transport Consultant working on a range of schemes including residential and commercial developments, schools and hospitals.

Contact: [email protected]

PJA have helped secure planning permission for the University of Leicester’s Space Park site in Leicester. The £100m development – in partnership with Leicester City Council, Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, and National Space Centre – will be built over a number of phases. Phase 1, expected to be completed in summer 2020, will house the Leicester Institute for Space and Earth Observation as well as providing space for businesses and consolidating the university’s Earth Observation capability into one site.

On completion, Space Park Leicester will house a combination of University of Leicester Research and Teaching facilities, together with the research institutions and international commercial partners developing a new generation of cutting-edge satellite technology, and analysing the space-enabled data transforming, for example, international communications, resource management, environmental monitoring and disaster relief. It will provide a unique environment where industry and academia will collaborate and exploit opportunities in space and space-enabled research, education and innovation

PJA prepared a Transport Assessment (TA) for the site which analysed the unique nature of the site in order to develop a bespoke trip generation and parking accumulation model, which helped the City Council understand the transport and highways impacts of the development.

PJA’s commission on Space Park Leicester is one in a long line of similar projects with the University, namely TA’s for Percy Gee (Student Union) Building on Central Campus and the Leicester School for Business site at Brookfield, as well as advising the University on development feasibility at the Freemen’s Common site and preparing designs for a more student-friendly street environment on University Road and Lancaster Road.

Image courtesy of University of Leicester / Space Park Leicester

In celebration of Cycle to Work Day we caught up with Nick Woolley, Transport Modelling Consultant in our Birmingham office, to find out why, come rain or shine, he’s making his commute to work by bike.

Why do you enjoy cycling to work each day?

I’ve always enjoyed cycling, and having had a rust bucket of a car that was always breaking down it’s nice to know that if something breaks on my bike it’s a lot easier and cheaper to fix and get going again!

I also like sitting down at my desk knowing that I’ve already done some exercise for the day and as a transport planner it’s always good to know your way around the local roads. Having a cyclist’s point of view of them is quite beneficial I think.

I think it’s also worth mentioning that I’m quite lucky at PJA, as the traffic around the office isn’t too bad (compared to the centre of town anyway), there are showers, and there is somewhere safe to store my bike during the day.

How long is your commute?

My cycle to work is about 12 miles each way, luckily mostly downhill and usually a tailwind on the way home!

Other than your commute, do you cycle anywhere else?

I’ve done all different types of cycling, so started off mountain biking but now mainly cycle on the road. I do still do the odd cyclocross race and triathlon as well, and was also dragged on a cycle touring trip through the Outer Hebrides and the Highlands this year.

I’m lucky to have been able to cycle in quite a few places in Europe – Alps, Dolomites, Mallorca and Scotland, but on a nice sunny day I really don’t think you can beat England – specifically where I grew up in the North York Moors.

What would your top tips be for anyone thinking about starting to commute to work by bike?

My tips would be:

• Try to minimise the amount of stuff you carry to work everyday. I leave my work shoes and a towel at the office to keep my bag as light as possible.
• A basic level of maintenance skills is always useful – I use the GCN videos all the time.
• Don’t feel like you need to cycle to work every day, even once a week is better than nothing.
• A good waterproof jacket is definitely worth splashing out on.
• Finally I like to think of the savings of cycling to work, I worked out that by cycling to work everyday instead of driving it saves me almost £1000 a year in fuel alone.

Nick is a Transport Modelling Consultant specialising in the use of VISSIM microsimulation modelling software.

Contact: [email protected]

PJA provided transport planning and engineering input into two outline planning applications forming part of the wider Melton North Sustainable Urban Extension. PJA were appointed by Richborough Estates and Leicestershire County Council for the two adjacent schemes, which promote up to 700 dwellings, a new primary school and an extension to an existing secondary school.

The team at PJA worked closely with Leicestershire County Council highways and strategic infrastructure teams to ensure the developments aligned with the Melton Mowbray Distributor Road – a large infrastructure scheme with £50million government funding. Both schemes were granted planning consent in August 2019.

Image: Baily Garner LLP

PJA provided a feasibility study and an economic case for the provision of upgraded cycle parking facilities at railway stations within the Ebbsfleet Garden City regeneration zone, an area which will provide up to 15,000 homes by 2035.

This includes a state-of the-art cycle hub facility at Ebbsfleet International, with capacity for up to 500 cycles as well as integrated services and facilities such as showers and changing rooms, a workshop and real-time public transport information. The cycle hub could also integrate with potential future cycle hire and mobility-as-a-service operations.

The commission comprised a site and desk-based audit of the Garden City and its vision; a review of best industry practice; an optioneering and scheme design of potential facilities; travel demand modelling; and an economic appraisal in line with DfT Transport Analysis guidance (TAG). This resulted in a benefit to cost ratio (BCR) indicating ‘high’ value for money.

Our work formed a key part of a full business case (FBC) for the facilities, successful in securing over a million pounds worth of Government funding in July 2019. The facilities will play a role in maximising the use of sustainable and active transport city in the Garden City as it continues to develop over the next 15 years.

For more information, click here

PJA provided transport advice and reporting to support the redevelopment of the former Tomkinson Carpets site and adjoining land to create up to 240 dwellings and up to 670 sqm of mixed-use floor space. The project, for Kidderminster Property Investments, was granted consent in June 2019.

The team at PJA worked closely with Worcestershire County Council who were preparing a separate, albeit intrinsically linked, application for the provision of highway works that included a new access into the site from St Mary’s Ring Road and other highway improvements funded from the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF).

Image: Node

Despite the rollercoaster of Whitehall politics over the last few months and the Hokey Cokey nature of Brexit, our clients continue to display confidence in PJA by appointing us on new projects and we have been successful in delivering permissions on a number of sites.

Highlights have included:

• Consent secured for 1,100 dwellings and 14ha of employment across two sites in Malvern
• Appeal win for a Crematorium site in Bromsgrove
• Application submitted for 500 dwellings and a Secondary School in Perry Barr, Birmingham
• Consent secured for a luxury lodge development in Bridgnorth, Shropshire
• Applications submitted for 700 dwellings as part of the Melton Mowbray North Sustainable Urban Extension and Melton Mowbray Distributor Road
• Appointed onto frameworks for Homes England and Gloucestershire County Council
• Application submitted for 950 dwellings at Brockhill, Redditch
• Application submitted for Leicester Space Park, a new Research and Development campus for Leicester University
• Reserved Matters planning consent granted for 275 units at Filton Airfield as part of the wider airfield redevelopment project
• Planning permission secured for Park Hotel in Paignton with working continuing on applications for a further four hotels in the area
• Two PJA projects, Swindon Bus Boulevard and Kidderminster Town Centre, make it to the short list of the future High Streets fund
• Consent granted for 15,000 sqm of B8 employment uses at Avonmouth
• Appointed to develop the Swindon Town Centre Microsimulation model for the town centre movement strategy
• Consent granted for Wilton Park for 350 dwellings
• Planning permission granted for 89 flats on a constrained site in Stratford, East London
• Planning permission granted for 60 units in Meppershall, Bedfordshire
• Appointed for S278 design work in central Reading

We have been busy recruiting throughout the spring and early summer period, with several key appointments to the professional team in each of the offices.

Birmingham Office:
Ryan Jones – Civil Engineer
Jane Overton – Consultant Transport Planner
Harry Ollerton – Geotechnical Engineer

Bristol Office:
Liam Clark – Geo-environmental Engineer

Reading Office:
Nikki Slack – Principal Civil Engineer
Louise Thomas – Graduate Engineer

London Office:
Ben Coleman – Principal Transport Planner

Given the growth of the business we have also now recruited Aman Chohan as our HR Manager.

This takes our team to over 70 in number and we are very pleased to be adding further strength and depth across our offices.    We warmly welcome all our new team members!

If you think you might like to join the team, we are still recruiting. Find out more here.

Phil Jones has been appointed to a task force to help breathe new life into struggling high streets and town centres across the West Midlands, which have suffered following a downturn in footfall as consumers turn to out-of-town outlets and online shopping.

The Regional Town Centre Task Force has been set up by Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Housing & Land Delivery Board, and is made up of experts from retail, development, finance, housing, education, community groups and Government.

Using an initial WMCA investment of £20 million, the advisory body will help guide changes and support new investment plans, starting with five pilot town centres – Bilston in Wolverhampton, St Thomas Quarter in Dudley, Bordesley Green in Birmingham, St Matthews Quarter in Walsall and West Bromwich (East) in Sandwell.

At their first meeting in June members all agreed that the problems are severe and urgent and so help must be delivered quickly through a cross-cutting approach, with politicians, local councils, community groups, academia and the private sector all coming together as one.

Andy Street said: “The calibre and expertise of the people around the table at the first Regional Town Centre Task Force meeting was exceptional, and their willingness to share their knowledge in support of the town centre programme shows just how important this issue is to our local communities and economies.”

Phil Jones added: “High street and town centre retail is declining but these places still have a vital role to play as the hubs of their communities. Using PJA’s specialism and experience in urban design, placemaking and transport planning, I look forward to working with the task force to help high streets and town centres adapt, with a new focus that could include leisure, entertainment and housing alongside retail.”