East of England construction market set to boom

The East of England is set for a construction boom, with a strong pipeline of projects due to start over the next 12 months.

Glenigan’s construction market intelligence shows that work is due to begin on 11,263 high-value projects (valued at £250,000 or more) in the East of England in the 12 months from August 2023.

The region is benefitting from a surge in industrial work after the East of England was granted the status of a Freeport in March 2021.

A number of developers are planning and progressing major industrial schemes in the East of England including Curzon de Vere, Firethorn and Jaynic.

Jaynic continues to plan and build a number of units in the £244 million Suffolk Park logistics scheme near Bury St Edmunds (Project ID: 16393440). Glenigan’s industry research shows that construction work is expected to start this Autumn on a £23.7 million warehouse unit on the site (Project ID: 22304423).

Curzon de Vere is also adding new units to its Port One Great Blakenham logistics park (pictured) near Ipswich (Project ID: 22310340). Work on seven more units is expected to commence in the New Year (Project ID: 22468857).

Out to tender

Major developments are moving through the procurement pipeline in a number of other key sectors.

Plans by Railpen and Socius for the £165 million Devonshire Gardens residential and commercial scheme in Cambridge have been put out to tender (Project ID: 18289807) with work due to get underway by the end of this year.

Other schemes in the East of England out to tender include the £46 million Long Stratton bypass on the A140 in Norwich being developed by Norfolk County Council (Project ID: 21344322). Bids have been returned and a start is scheduled for April 2024.

Biggest deal

The biggest scheme in the region due to start in the next 12 months is a £1.2 billion deal to build the road network north of the river for the proposed Lower Thames Crossing (Project ID: 22190541). Balfour Beatty is expected to begin work next spring.

In the pipeline

With a host of military bases in the region, the Ministry of Defence is a key client and is considering bids for a sizeable scheme nearby at RAF Wyton. Tenders have been invited via the CCS Framework (Project ID: 18043348) for a £30 million warehouse and office development known as a Programme to Rationalise and Integrate the Estate (PRIDE) (Project ID: 23218921) with work due to get going in February.

The University of Cambridge is another major client in the region and has a programme of work due to start in the next year. The Hill Group was recently signed up for a £60 million plan for 107 apartments at Eddington Avenue (Project ID: 16127355) and will begin work in the New Year.

With major clients developing a number of projects, the East of England’s pipeline looks strong.