Region Focus: East of England
Overview
The East of England region accounts for 8.3% of total UK GDP and key sectors of regional economic activity are industrial production and manufacturing, distribution and transport, public administration and business services. Construction GVA grew 12.5% in 2023. The value of contracts awarded in the region totalled £11.6 billion in 2024, an increase of 68.5% from the previous year. There were six overall hotspots: were Breckland and South Norfolk, Essex Thames Gateway, Heart of Essex, Hertfordshire, North and West Norfolk, and Thurrock.
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Location | GDP per head (£) | GDP growth 2018-2023 | Unemployment rate (%) | Construction GVA (2023, £ millions) | Construction Growth (2023) | Contracts Awards Growth (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | UK Average | 39,845 | 4.10% | 3.7 | 154,140 | 11.50% | 13.10% |
| 2 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | East of England | 35,442 | 3.30% | 3.2 | 19,324 | 12.50% | 68.50% |
| 3 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Peterborough | 39,935 | -3.80% | 3.8 | 443 | 3.50% | -63.50% |
| 4 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Cambridgeshire CC | 40,970 | 9.00% | 3.4 | 1,596 | 8.80% | -18.50% |
| 5 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Suffolk | 33,074 | 1.40% | 4.6 | 1,029 | 20.50% | -77.00% |
| 6 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Norwich and East Norfolk | 35,182 | 6.70% | 2.5 | 765 | 18.20% | 18.70% |
| 7 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | North and West Norfolk | 24,582 | -3.10% | 4.7 | 426 | 7.80% | 1946.00% |
| 8 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Breckland and South Norfolk | 27,196 | 8.10% | 1.9 | 687 | 15.70% | 40.80% |
| 9 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Luton | 33,128 | 14.80% | 6.4 | 289 | 15.60% | 105.50% |
| 10 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Hertfordshire | 44,823 | 2.80% | 2.4 | 4,463 | 9.80% | 158.10% |
| 11 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Bedford | 30,789 | 0.50% | 3.7 | 438 | 9.00% | -24.80% |
| 12 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Central Bedfordshire | 27,639 | -1.00% | 2 | 599 | 15.20% | -45.70% |
| 13 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Southend-on-Sea | 21,938 | -13.80% | 2.9 | 250 | 15.20% | -4.20% |
| 14 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Thurrock | 37,515 | 10.50% | 2.1 | 654 | 12.40% | 761.90% |
| 15 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Essex Haven Gateway | 28,324 | -1.70% | 2.6 | 1,246 | 10.80% | 277.10% |
| 16 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | West Essex | 36,257 | 1.20% | 5.9 | 1,907 | 20.40% | -6.00% |
| 17 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Heart of Essex | 39,115 | 1.10% | na | 2,004 | 7.60% | 78.60% |
| 18 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:11 AM | Essex Thames Gateway | 32,500 | 7.50% | 3.8 | 1,328 | 19.70% | 67.20% |
Residential
Commercial
Infrastructure
£1.9 billion worth of residential contracts were awarded in the East of England in 2024, 16.1% higher than the value awarded in 2023. There were four hotspots and four coldspots.
Commercial contract awards totalled £1.5 billion in 2024, more than double the value recorded in 2023. Hertfordshire, Luton and Southend-on-Sea were hotspots, whilst Central Bedfordshire and Thurrock were coldspots. Two of the largest contract awards were outside of offices and retail: the Google data centre and Warner Bros studios.
Contract awards for infrastructure projects in the East of England totalled £6.2 billion in 2024, which was almost three times higher than in 2023. There were six hotspots, with five projects with contract values of £100 million or over, including the year’s largest contract award for £3.6 billion Hornsea Project Three, attributed to North and West Norfolk.
Top 10 Residential Contracts
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Project | Units | Value | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | The Stage, Luton | 292 units | £110 million | 01/02/2025 | |
| 2 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | Cherry Orchard Brickworks, Rochford | - | £80 million | 01/08/2024 | 01/11/2029 |
| 3 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | Devonshire Gardens, Cambridgeshire | 70 units | £77 million | 01/06/2024 | 01/02/2027 |
| 4 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | Orchards Green Phase 5, Ely | 300 units | £54 million | 01/04/2025 | 01/11/2028 |
| 5 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | Castle Street, Luton | 380 units | £47 million | 01/06/2024 | 01/02/2027 |
| 6 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | Back Lane, Great Ashby | 292 units | £45 million | 01/10/2024 | 01/06/2027 |
| 7 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | Cambourne Business Park | 256 units | £43 million | 01/10/2024 | 01/06/2027 |
| 8 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | Market Square, Basildon | 492 units | £42 million | 01/01/2025 | 01/09/2027 |
| 9 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | Former Gas Holder Site, Tayfen Road | 171 units | £42 million | 01/04/2024 | 01/10/2026 |
| 10 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:25 AM | Norwich Road | 343 units | £41 million | 01/06/2024 | 01/02/2027 |
Top 10 Commercial Contracts
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Project | Development | Value | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Google Data Centre - Waltham Cross | Data centre | £800 million | 01/01/2024 | 01/09/2025 |
| 2 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Botanic Place, Cambridge | Offices | £200 million | 01/04/2024 | 01/03/2029 |
| 3 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Warner Bros Studios Leavesden | Ents | £190 million | 01/06/2024 | 01/01/2027 |
| 4 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Prologis Park Griffin House - Phase 1 Commercial Development | Offices | £20 million | 01/10/2024 | 01/06/2025 |
| 5 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Tollgate Village, Stanway - Phase 1 | Retail | £16 million | 01/09/2024 | 01/06/2025 |
| 6 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Peterhouse Tech Park, The Optic | Offices | £15 million | 01/07/2023 | 01/01/2025 |
| 7 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Haverhill Research Park Plot 200 | Retail | £10 million | 01/12/2027 | 01/09/2029 |
| 8 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Floorspan Contracts, Wisbech | Offices | £8 million | 01/06/2024 | 01/07/2025 |
| 9 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Perrywood Garden Centre - Redevelopment | Retail | £7 million | 01/04/2025 | 01/01/2027 |
| 10 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:31 AM | Parker House, Maylands Avenue | Offices | £6 million | 01/03/2024 | 01/04/2025 |
Top 10 Infrastructure Contracts
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Project | Value | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | Hornsea Project Three Offshore Wind Farm | £3.6 billion | 01/01/2025 | 01/01/2028 |
| 2 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | Thurrock Flexible Generation Plant - 750MW | £645 million | 01/07/2023 | 01/07/2026 |
| 3 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | National Grid - Bramford To Twinstead Line | £363 million | 01/01/2025 | 01/12/2028 |
| 4 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | Boreham Interchange - Chelmsford NE Bypass | £160 million | 01/01/2025 | 01/06/2026 |
| 5 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | A120 To A133 - Link Road | £100 million | 01/11/2024 | 01/04/2028 |
| 6 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | Medebridge Road - 70MW Solar Farm | £70 million | 01/04/2024 | 01/10/2025 |
| 7 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | A12 - Margaretting Bypass | £65 million | 01/02/2023 | 01/07/2024 |
| 8 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | South Fambridge Hall - 49.99MW Solar Farm | £56 million | 01/02/2025 | 01/07/2026 |
| 9 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | Great Dunham, Palgrave Road - 49.9MW PV Farm | £50 million | 01/08/2024 | 01/02/2029 |
| 10 | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | ellierourke | 11/09/2025 11:34 AM | Long Stratton Bypass | £47 million | 01/03/2024 | 01/09/2025 |
