Ranging from urban areas in the London commuter belt to its rural coastlines, the East of England is a large and diverse area which encompasses Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
GRE Assets first invested in the area in 2019, with the launch of Nene Wharf at Fletton Quays in Peterborough, a development consisting of 128 riverside apartments. Peterborough and the wider region has a lot of potential as an investment location, in fact, house prices were up 9.3% year-on-year according to Rightmove’s House Price Index (June 2022).
In this blog, we have outlined some of the key reasons we believe investors should consider the East of England as an investment location.
Strong transport links
Despite the region having rural appeal and access to the coast, it doesn’t compromise on connectivity to London. Key towns and cities across the East of England offer excellent rail links to the capital, for example, train times from Colchester, Peterborough and Bedford are all under an hour.
Stansted Airport is one of the UK’s main airports with regular flights to major European cities and beyond. The Port of Felixstowe is the UK’s busiest container shipping port and vital for imports and exports in the area.
Residential demand
The East of England has one of the fastest growing populations and economies in the UK. This is always a positive factor for an investment location as it is usually a good indicator of strong residential demand, whether that’s buying or renting.
Alongside this, the region has lots of employment opportunities with Norwich, Peterborough and Cambridge among the biggest business hubs, with the latter particularly focused on the science, technology and education sectors. There are also large employers in the area including insurance provider BGL Group, AV supplier Midwich and home improvements company, Anglian Group. Employment opportunities will be one of the first things people considering a new area as a place to live will look at, so this is another promising reason to consider the East of England.
Regeneration projects
There are various projects from across the region, which are making a big impact on it as a place to live. For instance, ARU Peterborough, a £30 million university campus, will welcome its first students later this year. Norwich City Council is preparing a bid for £40 million of levelling up funding “to spend on transport schemes, improving high streets and sprucing up Norwich’s cultural assets.” Plans were submitted this week for a mixed-use development in north Cambridge which includes over 400 homes and commercial floor space.
This is just a snapshot of some of the latest progress being made at these key developments, but is a good indicator of wider investment in the area and its appeal as a growth area.
GRE Assets delivered Nene Wharf at Fletton Quays, an exciting residential development in Peterborough and the second phase of a £120 million regeneration project.
