Business in East Anglia

Huntingdon Southern Bypass opens ahead of schedule

Highways England has opened the Huntingdon Southern Bypass one year ahead of schedule, as part of the £1.5 billion upgrade of 21 miles of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon. The new bypass runs between Ellington and Swavesey and work on the rest of the project, between Swavesey and Milton, is on schedule for completion by December 2020.

Natalie Chapman of the Freight Transport Association said: “Speaking on behalf of the UK logistics industry, FTA is thrilled Highways England has opened the Huntingdon Southern Bypass a year ahead of schedule...Our members rely on effective and e...

Weak orders hit activity but most firms hopeful of rebound

Private sector activity fell sharply in the East of England in November as new business weakened and Brexit uncertainty lingered but employment grew marginally and the majority of firms in the region still expect output to rise over the coming 12 months, according to a key survey of purchasing managers.

The NatWest East of England business activity index fell from 50.2 in October to 47.3 in November, the lowest figure since mid-2012. As order books fell, companies continued to work through backlogs and  outstanding business fell for the thirteenth month running. ‘Positive sentiment’...

Strong service sector helps keep business buoyant in Essex

Turnover and profits at the top 100 privately-owned companies in Essex have continued to grow at a healthy rate helped by a strong service sector but the county’s property businesses have faced a tougher year and firms are borrowing more, according to the 2019 Essex Limited report from Grant Thornton and Birketts.

Based on an analysis of firms’ latest annual reports, it shows turnover at the top 100 has risen by 15 per cent to £10.5bn and profits by 12 per cent. The service sector in Essex saw the largest growth in turnover and operating profit and the automotive sector also stood out...

Surge in lending to tv and film producers lights up prospects for SMEs

The tv and film production sector is enjoying dramatic growth driven by demand for British content from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime, according to Barclays Business Banking. As production companies expand, the number of loans taken by SMEs to fund new tv series such as The Crown has increased by 93 per cent and funding for new films by 37 per cent compared to 2018. Meanwhile revenues at SMEs in the media sector have grown by 11 per cent, well above other sectors. Research for Barclays shows half the population plans to watch Netflix next year and a third plan to watch Amazon Prime...

More firms planning to recruit despite knock to confidence

Business confidence in the East of England fell in October but a growing number of firms in the region plan to hire more staff over the coming year, according to a ‘business barometer’ survey from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Overall confidence amongst firms in the East fell two points in October to two per cent and firm’s confidence in their own business prospects fell ten points to seven per cent.

#But hiring intentions showed that a net balance of 8 per cent of businesses in the region expect to hire more staff during the next year, up eight points on September. Across the co...