Eastern Powerhouse

Devo White Paper: A brave step, but not radical enough The much anticipated English #Devolution White Paper was finally published this week [n.b. 16/12/2024]. This marks a significant step toward next year’s English Devolution Bill which will deliver the new Government’s vision for decentralising power to drive economic #growth in England. As expected, the paper includes major proposals to reform local government outside of the country’s main urban areas. District and County councils face uncertainty, with encouragement to merge into unitary authorities serving over 500,000 people. Devolution will be dependent on these new unitary authorities coming together to form combined authorities with elected mayors. This could have huge implications for the East of England. Read the Full Summary and Analysis here: https://lnkd.in/en-eFYCJ

We fully endorse the Chancellor’s Vision The Chancellor’s speech sets a bold agenda for economic #growth, prioritising stability, reform, and #investment; an agenda that the Eastern Powerhouse has long championed. Many of today’s key announcements align with the initiatives we have been driving forward from day one of the powerhouse, demonstrating that our efforts, along those of other regional stakeholders, continue to shape national and regional policy changes, and deliver tangible results for the region. ✅ Spatial Strategy Advocated for a clear spatial strategy, now recognised by the government. ✅ Redevelopment of Land Around Railway Stations Pushed for easier development policies around #railway stations, successfully influencing government position. We have been working directly with Network Rail and Local Councils to highlight this opportunity ✅ Reservoirs Consistently lobbied for new #reservoirs to support regional growth, leading to their prioritisation. ✅ Devolution and Local Government Reform Championed restructuring local governance for better efficiency and representation ✅ Green Energy Cluster in East Anglia Advocated for investment in the region’s #renewable energy sector, contributing to policy recognition. Still Pending: ❌ Ely Junction Upgrade A critical #infrastructure project still awaiting funding and government commitment. Rt Hon Rachel Reeves HM Treasury

Fully agree, Ely Junction is critical for the region and the entire country. Since our launch in March 2022, the Eastern Powerhouse has identified this rail bottleneck as a key infrastructure improvement for our region. These upgrades will allow more regular and faster passenger services from Peterborough, Kings Lynn Norwich Ipswich and Cambridge, having a positive impact on rail users across the region. Freight services from Felixstowe to the midlands will be able to take a direct route through Ely, rather than be directed through London, making the rail network in the east far more efficient.

The UK Government's renewed push to improve #transport links and housing along the Oxford-Cambridge Arc is a welcome step toward unlocking economic potential across this important #innovation corridor. By enhancing connectivity and addressing #housing shortages, the initiative seeks to capitalise on the area’s world-class #research and #technology sector, which has the potential to open up further economic clusters.   It is encouraging to see a focus on long-term investment in high-growth areas, but success will hinge on balancing economic ambitions with local concerns around #sustainability and #infrastructure capacity.   The last Government spoke about creating a ‘Silicon Valley.’ We hope this Government understands that Silicon Valley thrived because of a strong spatial policy that united #innovation, #investment, and infrastructure, demonstrating the power of coordinated planning. The Arc can leverage its unique strengths by extending opportunities further into the East of England. We fully support!

We're delighted to feature in the inaugural issue of the Business Insight East Anglia Magazine. In February's issue, Alex Durand discusses our commitment to sustainable aviation, while providing initiatives like 'The Landing' and our 'Innovate Studios' 🙌 Click below to read the full article and let us know what you think! 👇 https://bit.ly/3PIlWz5 #SaxonAir #Aviation #Sustainability

The Trump administration is likely to introduce a mix of opportunities and challenges for the UK - US trade, with the East of England standing at the forefront of potential impacts. While the prospect of increased tariffs raises concerns, it also underscores the importance of strategic planning for businesses and policymakers.  From Trump Tower to the forest in Thetford, the ripples of Donald Trump's presidency could reshape the region’s economy.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan doesn’t want to expand Heathrow with a third runway, whilst the Mayor of Greater Manchester Combined Authority would like Manchester Airport to take the extra traffic needed for London. Meanwhile, London Luton Airport waits patiently as their Luton Rising plans are further delayed, this time until the 3rd of April. Surely the government will back Luton in its quest to serve 32 million people per year and create 11,000 jobs? At the same time, London Stansted Airport, will this year begin its own expansion plans to create 5,000 jobs and double its worth to the economy. Is Stansted willing to put itself forward as a true competitor to Heathrow? Perhaps a future Mayor of Essex, or a Mayor of Norfolk and Suffolk would be as prepared as Mayor Burnham to promote business growth through #airport expansion in their patch? https://lnkd.in/dKBShmwG

A Focused Agenda for 2025 Connectivity, insight, and advocacy are at the core of our mission, and act as the pillars which guide our work. It, therefore, only makes sense that these   will form the foundation of our ambitious plans for 2025, ensuring that our efforts remain focused on delivering meaningful outcomes for the region. The Government’s 2025 agenda resonates strongly with our vision for the East. Priorities such as revitalising public services, championing green energy, and addressing inequalities are broad ambitions which align with our goals; however, they must be translated into realisable actions that directly improve the lives of businesses and residents in the East. Driving Change Through Devolution One of the most transformative developments is the opportunity for landmark devolution deals, which could transfer more powers to local leaders and communities. This shift could empower places in the East of England to take control of its destiny, ensuring that strategic decisions about economic development and investment are made closer to the people they affect. It is encouraging to see that our proposals have been acknowledged in the devolution white paper - a reflection of ideas central to our strategy since day one. But devolution is only the starting point. It is time to prove that regional leadership is more than a slogan. The East of England must seize this opportunity to lead, not follow. With champion industries like renewable energy, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing based here, we are perfectly positioned to support the UK's industrial strategy, Invest 2035. Failing to act decisively now would mean missing a generational opportunity to shape our future. Engaging the East In the first quarter of 2025, we will prioritise engaging directly with the people and businesses in the East. Your voices are vital in shaping our priorities. We strongly believe that devolution isn’t just about transferring power; it is about making that power work for you. We are eager to have conversations with businesses on how devolution can impact their futures, and offer our insight on both the opportunities and the challenges ahead. To foster this dialogue, we are planning events in Parliament to discuss how the growth agenda can deliver tangible benefits for the East. Your input to this process is essential, and we invite you to join us and express your views. Read more about our forward plan: https://lnkd.in/e6HQrGkS

Our Executive Director Steven Lynch MBE spoke at The Cambridge Union President debate - ‘This House Believes the West is Hypocritical Towards China’. Definitely worth a watch, can the East of England take a page out of the Eastern world’s playbook? https://lnkd.in/eA9Vd94E

We were pleased to end 2024 with the acquisition of Wellbrook Court, a multi-let business park in north Cambridge, on behalf of our clients Aula LLP and Trinity Hall College. The estate comprises 6 units let to 8 tenants, including Aecom, Atkins Ltd and Chase De Vere and TS Riley amongst others. Strategically located just off the Huntingdon Road in Girton, the site has great asset management potential and the price we paid (which I won’t publish here) gives us flexibility to bring forward a few different business plans. There is some vacancy (c 10,000sqft) so we will be courting new occupiers, but the priority is to implement a new management regime and make some early impactful changes to the estate to improve the user experience for existing and future tenants. Thanks to Emma De Meyer Kurt Richards Charlie Clark Will Cummock for assisting with the purchase and to Richard Walden at Bidwells who acted for the vendor.