Look at East England

Eastern England is one of the largest regions, covering a mainly low-lying (at or below sea level) area of 19,120 square kilometres, with a population density of 286 people per square kilometre. A total of 71% of this land is used for agriculture), 8% of the UK total. Health is better than the average for England and Wales, while serious crime rates are lower. However, despite a lower average level of deprivation than other regions, 17% of the population lives in poverty. Unemployment rates for some communities are more than twice the regional average, with low pay also being a significant regional problem, particularly in rural areas.

There is no one dominant urban centre, although 25% of England’s market towns are located in the region. The largest urban areas are Southend and Castle Point, with a population of 250,000, and Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, with a population of 230,000. Basildon, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and Peterborough all have populations of between 100,000 and 200,000. Of its 5.6 million people, more than 60%, are of working age, with over 19% under 16 and another 19%-plus retired, in a population growing at double the UK average.

Employment trends are flat, with 77.5% employed (2.78 million) and a movement from self-employment into paid employment in increasing numbers of small to medium-sized enterprises. An advanced network of roads and railways provides access to the UK heartland and main markets of Europe, while eight international airports and seven major seaports handle 56% of the UK’s container traffic. Felixstowe (Europe’s fifth-largest port and the fastest-growing one in the UK) and Tilbury are the dominant ports, while Luton and Stansted airports have both achieved strong growth and continue to expand. Export performance makes the region the fastest-growing one in the UK.

With a £100 billion economy, east England is home to 400,000-plus businesses, including 14,000 manufacturing firms. Small firms employing fewer than 50 people account for 99% of the business population. London and its two adjoining regions provide more than 40% of the UK’s gross added value (GVA) and much of its competitive advantage in a global economy. Economic output per head is above the UK average.

East England has one of the fastest growing economies in the UK, with a significant concentration of internationally important businesses engaged in research and development. On London’s doorstep, the region contributes more than 10% of the UK’s GDP from around 8% of the total UK land area.

There has been a structural shift in the region’s economy, with productivity and employment growth increasing in the service sector, while many manufacturing activities have been outsourced abroad. In the service sector, real estate, renting and business activities alone contribute over a quarter of economic output. Other important service sectors include financial services, and wholesale and retail.

Manufacturing produces a smaller proportion of economic output than in most other regions, while the construction sector produces a larger proportion of economic output than in all other regions. Combined, these two sectors produce 20% of east England’s economic output. Agriculture remains important: over 71% of the total land area of the region is used for this purpose (the vast majority for arable crops); this is a higher proportion than in any other region except the East Midlands.

Expenditure on research and development is a higher proportion of economic output than in any other region. The Cambridge cluster of knowledge-based and technology-intensive industries is world famous, employing well over 110,000 people, and east England includes more than 30 of the world’s leading research centres.

There are three significant growth areas wholly or partly in the region: the whole of the London–Stansted–Cambridge–Peterborough growth area, and parts of the Thames Gateway, and Milton Keynes and south Midlands areas. Additional homes, jobs and infrastructure are planned, with the intention of everyone receiving benefit from sustainable growth.

Natural attractions include nearly 600 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and 46 National Nature Reserves, as well as community forests. School performance is better than the national average, although 400,000 adults (half of them in employment) have a numeracy standard lower than that expected of an 11 year old. The region’s skills base remains patchy, with areas of educational underperformance, skills gaps and shortages.

The overall use of internet technologies in the east of England is at similar levels to the rest of the UK, but small businesses are generally less able and prepared to make use of information communications technology than are larger organisations. This ‘digital divide’ is likely to grow wider. The region hosts over 2,100 environmental goods and services businesses and organisations, more than any other region in the UK.

Watford is home to Camelot Group, owners of the National Lottery, Total Oil and retailers TK Maxx and Costco. Elstree Studios at Elstree and Borehamwood have hosted the Star Wars films and Big Brother. Moto Hospitality is at Toddington, easyJet and InBev are located in Luton, while Dunstable is home to Whitbread. Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk are mostly agricultural, but also home to such companies as Bernard Matthews, Norwich Union and Greene King. Newmarket, famous for racing, is also located in the region. Public-sector employment is 11% of the whole.