• Community Engagement Consultant
• Soundings
• BA (Hons) MSc

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Jessica is a community engagement consultant and urban researcher.

Jessica recently led the in-depth community engagement for the preparation of a District Design Code for Uttlesford, helping the design team understand local priorities, values, and challenges, as well as the distinctive cultural, architectural and place characteristics of the area. She and her Soundings team worked closely with residents and stakeholders of all ages to introduce them to the emerging design code and to encourage them to think ambitiously about what good, appropriate design for Uttlesford might be.

Through other work with outer-London, Essex-facing boroughs, Jessica has gained an appreciation of the sort of deep-rooted Essex culture that transcends administrative boundaries. This included a Public Practice associateship with Waltham Forest Council’s planning policy team, where she engaged with Chingford residents on the borough’s Local Plan.

Prior to moving into community engagement, Jessica enjoyed a successful career as a journalist, writer and editor, exploring and celebrating the distinctive characters of towns, cities and neighbourhoods. The desire to champion well-designed places that people want to live in and visit continues through her engagement work.