PDE Consulting Limited is an independently owned consultancy providing specialist planning, environmental permitting and property advice to land owners, operators and property developments in the UK. Our clients include those in the waste and resource management sector who are working towards a circular economy, biodiversity net gain and carbon neutrality.

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic graduate, eager to begin their career in Environmental Consultancy. There is currently an excellent opportunity for a new permanent full time position, within our team based in our Bury St Edmunds office in Suffolk.

Working in our team, the successful candidate will spend time checking and interpreting data, data submissions to regulators and writing environmental monitoring reports. You will spend a number of days each month undertaking field monitoring works including water quality measurements and sampling across the South East and the Midlands, typically with your colleagues.

When not doing this you will work closely with colleagues to produce environmental permit applications, planning applications, undertaking research and analysis, and assisting with project management. Every one of our projects is different and we need people with the ability to apply a range of problem-solving skills. You will be encouraged to work towards becoming a member of a relevant professional body and be given training and learning opportunities.

Ideal Qualifications/ Experience:

• Degree or MSc in a related subject (e.g. Environmental Science, Waste Management, Planning, Geology, Geography) (2.1 and above);
• Excellent written and personal communication skills;
• Motivated, friendly and confident interacting with clients;
• A strong team working ethic;
• Willing to travel and stay away from home when required;
• Comfortable with occasional site based working;
• Analytical and numerical skills with the ability to pay close attention to detail;
• Competent user of Microsoft Outlook, Excel and Word; and
• A full UK driving licence.

As this is a graduate position previous experience is not essential, although previous work experience would be desirable.

We offer a company pension, competitive annual leave with training and career progression opportunities. We offer a starting salary of £27,500 per year.

If you are interested in joining our dedicated team, please forward an up to date CV including all relevant qualifications and professional memberships and a bespoke covering letter explaining why you want to work for PDE Consulting Limited to suzanne@pdeconsulting.co.uk by 06 February 2026.

PDE recently submitted a planning application to Essex County Council on behalf of Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC) to allow for retrospective changes to the configuration of the recycling facility including, additional concrete hardstanding, concrete block bay walls and the importation and soaking of expanded clay.

Planning permission was granted by Essex County Council on 24 December 2025.

The grant of planning permission means that operations within the recycling yard can continue within their present configuration allowing SRC to continue delivering valuable recycled aggregates to the local construction market.

On behalf of Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC) PDE recently submitted a planning application to Tendring District Council for the installation and operation of a ground mounted solar array on land at Martells Quarry, Slough Lane, Ardleigh, Essex, CO7 7RU.

Planning permission was granted by Tendring District Council on 17 December 2025 subject to planning conditions.

The grant of planning permission is fantastic news for SRC as, following the discharge of pre-commencement planning conditions, it will allow them to commence construction of the solar array. The array will have a generating capacity of 1 megawatt and will be used to provide clean energy to SRC’s established operations at Martells Quarry, reducing their reliance on non-renewable sources of power including diesel generators which are currently used to power some processing plant.

The switch to renewable energy will assist SRC with their aim of reducing carbon emissions from operations in line with the Company’s Vision 2030 and wider government objectives to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

PDE recently submitted a planning application to Tendring District Council on behalf of Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC) for the installation and operation of a ground mounted solar array on land at Martells Quarry, Slough Lane, Ardleigh, Essex, CO7 7RU.

The application was validated by Tendring District Council on 17 September 2025.

Should planning permission be granted the development will supply renewable energy to support SRC’s established operations at Martells Quarry, reducing their reliance on non-renewable sources of power including diesel generators which are currently used to power some processing plant. The switch to renewable energy will assist SRC with their aim of reducing carbon emissions from operations in line with the Company’s Vision 2030 and wider government objectives.

PDE recently submitted a planning application to Essex County Council on behalf of Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC) to allow for retrospective changes to the configuration of the recycling facility including, additional concrete hardstanding, concrete block bay walls and the importation and soaking of expanded clay.

Recycling activities have been undertaken at Martells Quarry for a number of years with permission granted by Essex County Council in 2006 for the operation of a facility for recycling solid, inert and commercial and industrial waste. This use was confirmed by Essex County Council through a Certificate of Lawful use or Development issued on 26 October 2018.

Over time as operations have continued to evolve at the Site improvements have been made to the recycling facilities which have altered their footprint, layout, plant and infrastructure which are sited and operated within the recycling area. These changes have triggered the need for a new planning application to be submitted to regularise the configuration of the site.

The application was validated by Essex County Council on 04 September 2025.

Should planning permission be granted it will enable the continued operation of the recycling facility in its current configuration allowing SRC to continue delivering valuable recycled aggregates to the local construction market. The addition of the soaking of expanded clay will also increase the product offering from the Site with the soaked clay used within the manufacture of lightweight concrete products.

PDE recently submitted a planning application to Suffolk County Council on behalf of our client Allen Newport Limited for the installation and operation of a ground mounted solar array at Cavenham Quarry, Cavenham Road, Tuddenham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6SE.

The planning application was validated by Suffolk County Council on 05 August 2025.

The granting of this application will allow for the provision of renewable energy to support the wider established operations within Cavenham Quarry, including the mineral processing and waste recycling operations undertaken by the Applicant. This will assist the Applicant with their aim of sourcing a greater proportion of their energy demand from renewable sources, reducing their carbon footprint in line with wider government objectives.

On behalf of Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC), PDE Consulting Limited submitted an application to the Environment Agency to vary an environmental permit which authorises the storage and treatment of wastes at Barking Riverside Recycling Centre, Choats Road, Barking, Essex, RM9 6JR.

Bespoke environmental permit number EPR/HB3109CX was issued to SRC on 02 October 2019 and allows the operation of a physical treatment facility.  Wastes are treated to produce soils, soil substitutes and aggregates.  The recycling facility handles construction waste generated from Barking Riverside development, as well as from other local construction projects, and produces aggregates that are used in the development.  An application was made for a normal variation to add additional non-hazardous waste codes to the permit to expand the range of materials that could be recycled at the Site.

The permit variation was submitted on 27 June 2024 and the varied permit was issued on 27 June 2025.

On behalf of Green Aggregates Limited, PDE Consulting Limited submitted an application to Thurrock Council (TC) for a Part B permit for the operation of an asphalt plant on land off Burnley Road, West Thurrock, Essex, RM20 3ED.  The Part B permit application was submitted to TC on 23 July 2024 and the final permit was issued on 16 May 2025. Bulk aggregates are imported to the site in sheeted road vehicles with additives importing by tanker or in contained sealed vessels. Aggregate storage areas are fitted with dust suppression in the form of water sprays. Bitumen is directly sourced from adjacent facilities.

Bulk aggregates are imported to the site in sheeted road vehicles with additives imported by tanker or in contained sealed vessels. Aggregate storage areas are fitted with dust suppression in the form of water sprays. Bitumen is directly sourced from adjacent facilities.

Reclaimed bituminous road planings are also delivered and stored on site and granulated, screened and recycled into the process.  The storage and treatment of road planings is undertaken in a building in accordance with the requirements of an environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency.

Raw materials are loaded into the roadstone coating plant where the aggregates are coated with bitumen to produce products or mixtures to various specifications, discharged to trucks and delivered off site.

There will be one stack which will have a continuous stack monitor looking at emissions of both gases and particulates.  An automatic alarm will be fitted to ensure that the limits in the permit are complied with.

On behalf of our client Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC) PDE submitted a planning application to Essex County Council for the installation and use of a replacement sand drying plant together with the erection and use of a building for sand bagging and storage operations on land at Martells Quarry, Slough Lane, Ardleigh, Essex, CO7 7RU.

The adopted Essex Minerals Local Plan (2014) identifies Martells Quarry as the only allocated site for silica sand extraction within Essex. Silica sand deposits are set apart from other sand and gravel deposits owing to their suitability for a range of specialist uses including in water filtration and elite sports.

The planning application was considered by Essex County Council’s Development and Regulation Committee on 23 May 2025 who resolved to grant planning permission. Planning permission was subsequently granted by Essex County Council on 30 May 2025.

Sand drying operations have been undertaken at the Quarry for a number of years and the new drying plant will enable the processing of silica sand through a new state of the art plant. The grant of planning permission is fantastic news for SRC and will ensure that they can maximise the quality of the products which they are offering, supporting the silica sand industry and meeting market demand for specialist sand products.

On behalf of our client Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC), PDE submitted a planning application to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for the continued operation of a recycling centre for processing of construction and demolition waste on a temporary basis on land at Barking Riverside, Choats Road, Barking, London, IG11 0YN.

Recycling operations have been taking place at the Site since 2019 performing an essential role in the wider regeneration of Barking Riverside by allowing construction and demolition wastes to be processed and recycled in close proximity to the redevelopment works, with recycled products used to support the redevelopment. The planning application sought to allow for the continuation of existing operations for a further five years (to mid-2030) to facilitate continued support to the regeneration of Barking Riverside.

The planning application for the extension of time was validated by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham on 09 April 2025 and planning permission was granted on 07 July 2025.