ScottishPower Renewables will build a £9m offshore wind operations base on Trinity Road, Lowestoft, Construction Anglia reported on Wednesday 4 November. The three-storey building, of almost 6,000 square metres, will hold offices, a control room, a marine coordination centre and a warehouse, with capacity for around 100 staff. Ipswich-based Tru Demolition has begun clearing the former Pryce building on the site, and Norfolk contractor R G Carter will start construction in early 2027.

The company says the spend takes its investment in the East of England past £100m. The new base will complement its nearby East Anglia ONE facility, which runs on a 30-year lease with Associated British Ports. Ross Ovens, its managing director for offshore, called Lowestoft and the wider region "the home and heart" of its offshore wind operations, and Lowestoft MP Jess Asato said the investment would bring skilled jobs and training opportunities to the town.

Why it mattersThe 30-year lease on the existing East Anglia ONE base shows the time horizon: this is long-term operations work, not a one-off build. That makes Lowestoft a lasting market for skilled staff, and the operators, contractors and suppliers around it need finance people who can cost long contracts and track capital projects. For Norfolk firms, R G Carter's role is the encouraging part: a major energy company has hired East Anglian firms, a Norfolk builder and an Ipswich demolition contractor, so suppliers hoping to follow should make sure their job costing, cash-flow forecasts and tender paperwork are ready. For candidates, project accounting, contract finance and commercial analysis experience is worth putting at the top of the CV.

King's Lynn's biggest projects open their doors to local suppliers

West Norfolk Council's free Meet the Buyer event, at King's Lynn Town Hall from 9am to 1pm on Wednesday 18 November, will put local firms in front of the teams delivering the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the West Winch Housing Access Road and the refurbishment of St George's Guildhall, with booking through Eventbrite, Lynn News reported on Wednesday 4 November. The hospital is a long-term prize: an NHS group report says the £1.4bn rebuild could open in 2033, 2034 or 2035, depending on whether a review of maternity services needs public consultation.

Nearly 400 objections to a data centre near Norwich

Plans by Norwich Apex Ltd for a two-storey, 150MW data centre on land off the A140 near Keswick, three miles from Norwich city centre, have drawn 397 objections and one letter of support at South Norfolk Council, alongside a petition of more than 19,000 signatures, Greatest Hits Radio reported on Friday 30 October. The report gives no figures for jobs or investment, which leaves the economic case unclear as South Norfolk Council weighs the plans.

Bank Rate rises to 4%, and HMRC's late-payment interest follows

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted 8–1 to raise Bank Rate from 3.75% to 4%, it said on Thursday 5 November, with Catherine Mann voting for 4.25%. It expects CPI inflation, 3.5% in September, to rise to around 5% by the middle of 2027, and its next decision is due on Thursday 17 December. HMRC's late-payment interest, set at base rate plus 4%, rises to 8% from Monday 16 November for quarterly instalment payments and from Tuesday 24 November for other payments. The 10-year gilt yield stood at about 5.16% on Friday 6 November.

Services jobs edge back into growth for the first time in two years

The UK services PMI rose to a final 52.8 in October from 52.1, its highest reading since February, and employment rose for the first time in two years, according to the S&P Global survey published on Wednesday 4 November. S&P Global's Tim Moore said the pace of job creation was only marginal, but for employers and candidates it is the first sign in two years of service firms adding staff rather than cutting.