Regional Infrastructure
Drivers in the East ‘unconvinced’ by electric vehicles
Motorists see the cost and charging infrastructure as main barriers to buying an EV vehicle.
Just over a quarter of people in the East of England are less likely to buy an electric vehicle than they were five years ago,...
Local Enterprise Partnership to continue under county councils
Business support and other economy-boosting services delivered by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) are to continue following its integration into Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils.
Key functions and employees of the LEP transferred to the authorities on 1 April...
Go-ahead for £12m commercial space at Lynch Wood Park
Planning has been approved for the new 59,000 sq ft commercial development, designed to serve the growing community of start-ups and expanding businesses in Peterborough.
The development by FI Real Estate Management (FIREM) will support 125 full time equivalent jobs,...
Affordable lab space faces ‘perfect storm’
An imbalance in lab space supply and demand is inhibiting growth in the UK’s Golden Triangle, says Mark Glatman, Chief Executive of Abstract Mid-Tech, and developer of South Cambridge Science Centre.
Known as the ‘Golden Triangle’, Cambridge, Oxford and London...
Climate change poses massive threats to our ‘Thriving East’
Hot, dry and growing: new report reveals that our economically significant region is one of the most challenged to thrive.
The East of England (defined as the area Anglian Water serves) faces critical challenges over the next two decades, as...
Independent logistics firm expands to meet growing demand
A family-run logistics firm have announced they are expanding their reach with the addition of a multi-million-pound new warehouse in the East of England.
Independent logistics firm Hemisphere Freight Services is building a 243,511 sq ft warehouse at Suffolk Port...
‘On the buses’ are green to go
A Norwich bus depot is one of the first outside London to turn fully electric.
New underground cables and equipment have been installed at a local substation by UK Power Networks, upgrading the Roundtree Way depot to fully power electric...
Ambulance trust pilots ‘unbreakable connectivity’
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the first ambulance service to pilot a new technology that provides robust connectivity for its crews and vehicles - even in areas where traditional cellular connectivity is impossible.
The Hybrid Connex...
Hydrogen production at wastewater treatment centre will ‘fuel road transport’
The UK’s first initiative to produce fuel cell grade hydrogen using wastewater will begin with a project in Cambridgeshire this summer.Â
Hydrogen infrastructure specialists Element 2 will buy hydrogen produced by a new electrolyser at Anglian Water’s Milton Road, Cambridge...
Businesses invited to ‘share the load’ with greener deliveries
Cambridge’s first Net Zero Urban Consolidation Centre (UCC) has opened.
Launched by Cambridgeshire-based Welch’s Transport, this new venture will support the city’s sustainability goals by delivering clean, emissions-free last-mile deliveries.
It’s at the heart of the company’s new Net Zero logistics...
Cambridge cluster plans net zero route
Business leaders from Cambridge’s innovation cluster met recently to discuss practical strategies towards achieving net zero in their supply chains.
The ‘Driving Sustainability in Science Development’ event was hosted by Cambridge Network at Howard Group’s Unity Campus.
With a keynote speech...
Rural small firms strive to build ‘economic growth-belt’ against backdrop of inequalities
Small firms in rural areas face a unique set of challenges that will continue to stunt their growth, unless policymakers step in to make serious change, a new Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) report shows.
The Growth Belt: Supporting Rural...
‘Depressed’ Peterborough shopping centre gets new lease of life
A Nottingham property developer has purchased a ‘depressed’ out-of-town shopping centre near Peterborough with a view to kickstarting its fortunes.
Ortongate Shopping Centre, in Orton Goldhay, four miles south-west of Peterborough, was placed on the market earlier this year following a 15-year struggle...
Custom Powder Alloys launch set to deliver £500k boost for Goodfellow Cambridge
A top Huntingdon manufacturer is targeting over £500,000 of sales from its latest product launch.
Goodfellow Cambridge Ltd, which makes specialist metals and materials, has launched a new range of new customised alloy powders, and expects significant interest from customers...
Economic boost as work begins at Freeport East
Up to 13,500 new jobs will be created as Freeport East moves into the delivery phase.
The initiative, at Felixstowe and Harwich, received final government approval at the start of the year.
The freeport - one of only eight in the...
Could water capture solve irrigation crisis?
The Felixstowe Peninsular is one of the driest areas of the country, yet every year thousands of tonnes of fresh water are pumped away into the River Deben.
A collaborative project set up by farmers is reclaiming the water, storing...
£133m earmarked for Norfolk highways and transport over next year
Carbon-cutting transport schemes are set for a £29 million boost in Norfolk despite the tough financial climate.
Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet considered the carbon-cutting transport budget for the new financial year at a meeting earlier this month.
At £133m, the 2023/24...
World’s first tidal energy port proposed for The Wash
Plans have been revealed for a £2bn renewable energy and flood infrastructure project in northwest East Anglia, which - if given the go-ahead - could include a hydro-electric dam and the world’s first tidal powered deep sea container port.
The...
Retail giant takes first unit at Gateway 14
Gateway 14 has secured its first occupier, believed to be one of the largest ever in the East of England.
Gateway 14 Ltd, advised by development partner Jaynic, has submitted a reserved matters planning application for home and garden retail...
Clegg Construction re-appointed to Scape’s Regional Construction Framework (RCF)
Clegg Construction has been re-appointed to a leading construction framework designed to facilitate the delivery of high-quality construction services for public sector projects in the Midlands and East of England.
The company has been selected as one of eight contractors...
Supply chain issues top East Anglia business concerns yet businesses continue to hire and boost pay
Supply chain issues and the ongoing impact of Brexit are cited as the biggest threats facing East Anglia’s mid-sized businesses over the next six months, alongside record inflation and cost of living crisis
Despite this, a third of...
East of England matches pre-pandemic overseas investment performance
The region has matched its pre-pandemic levels of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with 40 projects hosted in the region in 2021. This is the same number of FDI-backed projects delivered in 2019, according to the EY 2022 UK Attractiveness...
The productivity puzzle
Even within the region, there are big disparities in economic performance. Owen Garling, of the Regional Productivity Forum for East Anglia, examines the root causes and possible solutions.
The UK government, like that of many other Western countries, is concerned...
Agile thinking key to growth in East Anglia
Optimism is high among local businesses who are planning a recruitment drive this year, despite ongoing challenges.
Forty per cent of medium-sized companies say they intend to increase their workforce, and more than a quarter expect to return to pre-COVID-19...
Contract win for East Anglia ONE
Marex Risk and Marine Consultancy (Marex) has been awarded the marine services contract for the East Anglia ONE windfarm off the Suffolk coast.
East Anglia ONE is the first operational offshore windfarm in a joint venture project between ScottishPower Renewables...
Need help with your exports?
The Government has launched a new 12-point export strategy to help the region’s businesses sell their products around the world.
‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ is backed by the Department for International Trade (DIT), and aims to...
Boomtime for East of England exports
Exports in the East of England boomed last year, with manufacturing sales reaching nearly £18bn.
In fact, the region was one of the UK’s top exporters, according to Export Dividend report from Barclays Bank.
UK exports were worth a staggering £176bn...
Freeport East vision taking shape
Earlier this year, Freeport East was unveiled as one of eight new Freeports in England, with plans to become a hub of global trade and national regeneration and innovation.
While talks are still underway on the formal designation process, Freeport...
Green light for Gateway 14
Plans for a huge new business park in Suffolk have moved a step closer to reality.
Initial plans for Gateway 14 were conditionally approved by Mid Suffolk District Council in August. The 2.45 million square foot, innovation, business and logistics...
NEW PROJECT TO INCREASE RESILIENCE OF WATER STRESSED AREAS IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE
A new €4m cross-border project between England and France will help to improve how local areas mitigate and adapt to the threats of increased future water scarcity and drought in England and France.
Water for Tomorrow is an EU Interreg...