Engineering design practice Civic Engineers has appointed Annabel Precious as a new regional director. Precious has more than 20 years’ experience in transport planning, engineering and design consultancy and will join Civic’s London studio leadership team.

Precious’s appointment follows Civic Engineers’ significant growth during 2021, with more than 140 people now employed by the business. The firm has a nationwide footprint supported by teams based in Manchester, Leeds, and Glasgow, that service a varied portfolio of civil, structural and transport engineering design projects.    

In her previous role as technical director at Wood Environment and Infrastructure, Precious most recently led on the successful design and implementation of Access to Headington, a major 6.5km walking and cycling route improvement scheme to encourage active travel and less reliance on car use across east Oxfordshire.

She was also responsible for overseeing a £4m public realm improvement scheme in Loughborough, developing a public realm improvement scheme in Bicester and has developed successful transport strategies to support a range of mixed-use developments including the Whitehill Bordon Healthy New Town in Hampshire.     

At Civic Engineers, Precious will lead a number of trailblazing placemaking projects in London and the south east, including Better Queensway, The Meadows in Chelmsford and Thomas’ Lane Yard in Catford, each of which will draw on her experience in transport design, active travel and net zero carbon design. 

Commenting on her new role, Precious said: “Aside from the fantastic opportunity to lead and support many of the developments that Civic Engineers is delivering across the UK, it is the chance to contribute to their overall vision and values that I’m most excited about. Civic Engineers’ overall attitude and approach - to reuse and rebuild, not just demolish and to investigate, collaborate and understand every detail of a development in order to provide the right solutions – is something that really strikes a chord with me.    

Rob Westcott, director at Civic Engineers, said: “Annabel is a brilliant senior addition to our growing team in London and we’re delighted to welcome her on board. Her skills and experience in leadership, client relations and transport design and engineering, will bolster the wider capabilities and strengths of our team as we continue to create inspirational structures and places that enable people to lead happier, healthier lives.”