PJA

What PJA does

PJA (legally Phil Jones Associates Limited, Companies House No. 04685684) is a UK-headquartered multidisciplinary development planning consultancy founded in 2008 (per company timeline) or 2003 (per firmographic data), operating from 10 offices: Birmingham (HQ), Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Manchester, Reading, Melbourne and Perth. The firm integrates four service lines — Transport Planning, Engineering, Environment, and Placemaking — delivered by an in-house team of transport planners, highway and civil engineers, urban designers, landscape architects, environmental specialists, and graphic designers. Core technical capabilities include microsimulation and strategic transport modelling, GIS-based spatial analysis, 3D visualisation and animation for stakeholder consultation, hydraulic and flood modelling, and SuDS-led sustainable drainage and active travel design; outputs span feasibility studies, Transport Assessments, planning application support, Section 38 and Section 278 detailed highway design, expert witness services at planning appeals, and policy guidance.

PJA generates revenue primarily through project-based professional services fees billed to two principal customer segments: private sector developers (residential, commercial, retail, mixed-use — including St Modwen, Bloor Homes, Persimmon, Lendlease, Dandara, Richborough Estates) and public sector authorities (Transport for London, Birmingham City Council, Newcastle City Council, Essex County Council, East Suffolk Council, Homes England). A secondary, smaller revenue stream is the PJA Academy, which sells priced training courses (£150-£200 per attendee) on active travel, LCWIPs, and healthy streets design, plus bespoke organisational training. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with senior team members acting as named industry experts and contributing authors to national planning guidance; marketing relies on thought leadership content, a news and insights blog, LinkedIn, Instagram, and the Academy rather than paid advertising. The company is privately held with no external funding, no parent company, and operates across the UK and Australia, with Australian growth led by a dedicated Managing Director.

Name

PJA

Legal name

Phil Jones Associates Limited

Website

https://pja.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

PJA is a UK-headquartered multidisciplinary consultancy (10 offices across the UK and Australia) providing integrated transport planning, highway engineering, environmental, and placemaking services to private sector developers (e.g., St Modwen, Bloor Homes, Lendlease) and public sector authorities (e.g., Transport for London, Homes England) from feasibility through detailed design and expert witness work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Longbridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Development Planning: Project-based consulting fees for transport planning, engineering, environmental, and placemaking services. Services range from early due diligence and feasibility stages through Transport Assessment processes, planning applications, to preliminary and detailed highway design including S38 and S278 packages.
2. Training and Academy Services: PJA Academy offers training courses both online and in-person, including public courses and bespoke organizational training. Pricing from £150-200 per person with minimum attendee requirements.
3. Expert Witness Services: Provision of expert witness services at planning appeals, providing evidence on highway capacity, safety impacts, and infrastructure considerations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PJA is a multidisciplinary consultancy delivering integrated transport planning, engineering, environmental, and placemaking services for development and infrastructure projects. Work spans early feasibility, Transport Assessments, planning applications, Section 38/278 detailed design, expert witness services, active travel infrastructure, and urban design. The firm also runs the PJA Academy, providing online and in-person training courses aligned with UK national guidance.

Product overview

PJA is a multidisciplinary consultancy offering integrated transport planning, engineering, environment, and placemaking services. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of services that work together to deliver development infrastructure projects - from initial transport strategy and feasibility studies through to detailed civil engineering design, environmental assessments, and urban design/placemaking. Key service areas include Transport Planning (covering strategy, development planning, active travel, expert witness, and informatics), Engineering (land development, ground engineering, civil engineering, development infrastructure), Environment (nature, water), and Placemaking (streets, public realm, urban design, landscape). The firm also offers a PJA Academy providing professional training courses in active travel, LCWIP development, and healthy streets design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transport Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• Cycle hub feasibility study secured over £1 million in government funding for Ebbsfleet International and Northfleet Stations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• Design for HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPJA partnered with Design for Homes to prepare 'Streets for a Healthy Life', a technical companion guide to Building for a Healthy Life, on behalf of Homes England. The collaboration supports creation of well-designed, people-focused streets within new neighbourhoods.
• Ebbsfleet Development CorporationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation to undertake Cycle Hubs Feasibility and Economic Case at Ebbsfleet International and Northfleet Stations, supporting the Ebbsfleet Garden City regeneration zone providing up to 15,000 homes.
• Allies and Morrison LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture and masterplanning consultancy collaboration on development projects, listed as a trusted partner.
• Stantec (previously Barton Willmore)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanning and design consultancy partnership on multidisciplinary development projects, listed as a trusted partner.
• Steer Davies and Gleave LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransport planning consultancy collaboration on various projects, listed as a trusted partner.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Steer: Steer (formerly Steer Davies & Gleave) is a UK-headquartered transport planning consultancy offering strategy, modelling, and development planning services — directly comparable to PJA across core transport planning offerings, modelling, and active travel advisory.
• Curtins: Curtins is a UK-based multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy providing transport planning, civil/structural engineering, and environmental services — a closely comparable size-and-scope specialist to PJA across UK development infrastructure work.
• Waterman Group: Waterman Group is a UK-based multidisciplinary consultancy providing transport planning, civil/infrastructure engineering, and environmental services to public and private developers — directly comparable in scale and service mix to PJA.

Broad incumbents

• WSP: WSP is a global engineering and transport consultancy with substantial UK development planning, transport assessment, and placemaking practices that overlap materially with PJA's services, but at vastly larger scale and across many other disciplines.
• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consultancy whose UK transport planning, highways design, and placemaking practices compete directly with PJA on residential and mixed-use development work, as part of a much broader services portfolio.
• Arup: Arup is a global design and engineering firm with major UK transport planning, urban design, and infrastructure practices that overlap with PJA in development planning and placemaking, with a far larger multidisciplinary footprint.
• Mott MacDonald: Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with UK transport planning, highways, and environment practices that compete with PJA on development infrastructure and active travel programmes.
• AtkinsRéalis: AtkinsRéalis (formerly Atkins / SNC-Lavalin) operates a major UK transport, highways, and placemaking practice that competes with PJA on development planning, transport assessment, and S38/S278 detailed design.
• Stantec: Stantec acquired Barton Willmore and has built a substantial UK planning, transport, and engineering practice that competes with PJA on development planning, transport assessment, and masterplanning, as part of a global infrastructure business.

Emerging players

• BDP (Building Design Partnership): BDP is an integrated architecture, urban design, and engineering practice whose placemaking and urbanism work overlaps with PJA's placemaking offering, particularly on masterplanning of large mixed-use and regeneration projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phil-jones-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/pja.co.uk
• Xx.com/philjonesassoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PJA