Featured Region: East of England

Underlying value of construction projects starting on site. (Excludes individual projects of more than £100 million and framework agreements).

The East of England experienced a relatively subdued 2011; starts were up 1% for the full year compared to 2010. 2012 was more positive for the region starts increased by 6%.

Despite weak house prices, the region has benefitted from consistent growth in starts from the private housing as well as higher infrastructure, hotels and industrial starts.

The ONS reported that new orders for the first half of 2012 were up by 13% compared to the same period last year. The orders data show that new orders for public housing work collapsed in the first half of the year, down 67% from £155m in the first half of 2011, whereas infrastructure orders were very positive over the same period..

The East of England consists of the following Counties:  Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk.