Mode Transport Planning

What Mode Transport Planning does

Mode Transport Planning is an independent UK engineering consultancy founded in 2012 that specialises in transport planning, highway infrastructure design, drainage engineering and flood risk assessment for the property development industry. The firm operates from three offices — Birmingham (head office), Manchester and London — and is led by Managing Director David Frisby alongside regional directors in each location, supported by a team of 40+ chartered transport planners, civil engineers and consultants. Service delivery spans the full development lifecycle from site feasibility and planning-stage transport assessments through Section 278/38/104/185 technical design and approvals to construction-stage supervision.

The company's core technical offering comprises three service lines — Transport Planning, Highways & Infrastructure Design, and Drainage Engineering & Flood Risk Management — which are delivered across seven primary sector verticals: residential, logistics, healthcare, education, retail, leisure and commercial. Its competitive position rests on chartered expertise (CEng, FCIHT, FICE), established relationships with local authorities, Lead Local Flood Authorities and water companies, and a 13-year track record encompassing 7,500+ project enquiries and 2,850+ completed projects, including nationally significant schemes such as the 10,000-home Worcestershire Parkway New Town and the £130m Mullin Automotive Museum.

Revenue is generated through fee-based professional services engagements, predominantly fixed-fee commissions on transport assessments, junction modelling, road safety audits and drainage designs, with work acquired via competitive tender and direct appointment. The go-to-market is regional-director-led B2B relationship selling, supplemented by industry event presence (UKREiiF), sector-targeted newsletters, and a website optimised for organic search. Mode is privately held, debt- and equity-free by external investors, and operates with no disclosed proprietary software or AI/ML tooling.

Name

Mode Transport Planning

Legal name

Mode Transport Planning Limited

Website

https://modetransport.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mode Transport Planning is an independent UK engineering consultancy providing transport planning, highway infrastructure design, drainage engineering and flood risk assessment services to property developers, housebuilders, NHS trusts, retailers and public-sector clients across seven sectors from offices in Birmingham, Manchester and London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transport Planning Consulting

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Transportation & Infrastructure Planning (BPAHAKAF)

Keywords

• Transport planning services
• Highway infrastructure design
• Drainage engineering services
• Flood risk assessment
• Property development consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transport Planning Consultancy: Fee-based professional services for transport planning assessments, statements, strategies, and planning application support. Services include site feasibility studies, transport assessments, travel plans, traffic surveys, junction modelling, and expert witness testimony for planning appeals.
2. Highway Infrastructure Design: Engineering design services for adoptable highways under S38, S104, and S278 agreements. Includes road safety audits, technical design approval, and construction supervision.
3. Drainage and Flood Risk Management: Flood risk assessments, sustainable drainage strategies (SuDS), hydraulic modelling, and detailed drainage designs for adoption under S104 and S185 processes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mode Transport Planning is an independent UK engineering consultancy delivering specialist transport planning, highway infrastructure design, drainage engineering and flood risk assessment services to the property development industry. The firm supports clients from site feasibility through to technical approvals and construction, working on residential, logistics, retail, commercial, healthcare, leisure and education developments nationwide. Services are delivered directly by in-house transport planners, civil engineers and consultants across three UK offices in Birmingham, Manchester and London.

Product overview

Mode Transport Planning operates as a specialist transport planning consultancy providing a unified suite of services to the property development industry. The core offerings consist of Transport Planning, Highways & Infrastructure Design, and Drainage Engineering & Flood Risk Management services, which are delivered across multiple property sectors including Residential, Logistics, Healthcare, Education, Retail, Leisure, and Commercial. The company provides end-to-end support from initial feasibility through to technical approvals and construction delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transport Planning Comprehensive transport planning service covering site feasibility studies, transport assessments, travel plans, traffic surveys, junction modelling, expert witness testimony for planning appeals, and post-planning support for property developers, housebuilders, NHS trusts, local authorities and other clients.
• Highways & Infrastructure Design Engineering design service covering feasibility studies, site access layouts, road safety audits, technical design approval for Section 38 and Section 278 agreements, and construction supervision for adoptable highways serving new developments.
• Drainage Engineering & Flood Risk Management Drainage engineering and flood risk assessment service including flood risk assessments, sustainable drainage strategies (SuDS), hydraulic modelling, and detailed drainage designs for adoption under S104 and S185 processes with water companies and Lead Local Flood Authorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,500+ project enquiries received since founding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ISO (International Organization for Standardization)minorOthersMembership/alignment with ISO standards including ISO 9000 family quality management standards, demonstrating commitment to quality processes.
• Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT)coreOthersProfessional institution membership for transport planning and highways professionals. Many team members hold MCIHT and FCIHT chartered status.
• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)coreOthersProfessional institution membership for civil engineers. Team members hold CEng and FICE chartered status.
• British Chambers of CommerceminorOthersBusiness network membership supporting UK business community connections.
• Cyber EssentialsminorOthersCyber security certification demonstrating compliance with UK government cyber security standards.
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small BusinessesminorOthersAlumni membership in Goldman Sachs small business support programme.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consultancy with substantial UK transport planning capability serving both public and private property development clients. Comparable capability set to Mode across planning, highways, and flood risk, but at materially greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Waterman Group: Waterman Group is a UK-headquartered multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with established transport planning, infrastructure, and environmental practices serving property developers. Comparable to Mode across development-led transport, highways, and drainage work, with a broader structural and building services portfolio.
• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering consultancy that absorbed Peter Brett Associates (a leading UK planning, transport and development infrastructure consultancy) and Hydrock. Directly competes with Mode on UK property-led transport planning and infrastructure design, with the advantage of a multi-disciplinary global platform.
• Arup: Arup is a global engineering and design consultancy with significant UK transport planning and infrastructure design operations across the property, transport, and energy sectors. Overlaps with Mode on development-related transport planning but competes primarily at the upper end of large, complex schemes.
• WSP: WSP is a global multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with a large UK transport planning practice serving property developers, public sector, and infrastructure clients. Overlaps with Mode across transport planning, highways design, and drainage, but offers a much broader portfolio including rail, aviation, and environmental services.
• Mott MacDonald: Mott MacDonald is a global engineering consultancy with a large UK highways and transport planning practice serving public sector, property developers, and infrastructure clients. Comparable to Mode on development-led transport and drainage work, but with much broader scale and international footprint.

Emerging players

• Curtins: Curtins is an independent UK engineering consultancy with transport planning, infrastructure, and civil engineering capabilities serving residential and commercial developers. Comparable to Mode in scale and sector focus, though broader on structural engineering, and a likely competitor for mid-sized property development appointments.

Direct peers

• i-Transport: i-Transport is a UK-focused transport planning consultancy offering development planning, transport assessments, and travel planning to housebuilders and commercial developers. Directly comparable service mix and client base to Mode, with overlapping geographic footprint in southern England.
• Phil Jones Associates: Phil Jones Associates is a UK specialist transport planning and engineering consultancy serving property developers and public sector clients across residential, retail, healthcare and education. It is the closest direct mid-sized peer to Mode in scale, sector mix, and delivery model.
• Paul Basham Associates: Paul Basham Associates is a specialist UK transport planning and highways design consultancy serving residential and commercial developers. Comparable to Mode in service offering (transport assessments, travel plans, S38/S278 design) and target customer segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mode_transport
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRjSLsqFpthn8H-6a0kbqYg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mode-transport
• Facebookfacebook.com/ModeTransport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Mode Transport Planning