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

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