Eastern

Public sector construction leads in the East of England

PSC Pipeline tracks public sector construction schemes across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk at RIBA Stage 0 to 2, before procurement starts. This page shows what we found in the region this year, and how early we found it.

01 · Found in 2026

The East of England in numbers

Schemes added to the PSC portal between 1 January and 5 October 2026.

45

Public sector schemes found in the East of England

£13m

Typical scheme value (median)

84%

Found at RIBA Stage 0 to 2

29

Public sector clients with live schemes

02 · Where the work is

What we found in the East of England

Education led the way with 15 schemes, with housing close behind. Most of it had not reached the planning system when we picked it up.

£4.1bn of capital schemes identified across 6 counties, led by a handful of major regeneration programmes.

29 clients: 19 councils, two NHS trusts, two police bodies, two education bodies, a combined authority, a fire and rescue service and two others. Public bodies with schemes on the portal:

Hertfordshire County Council

Peterborough City Council

Suffolk County Council

Hertsmere Borough Council

Ipswich Borough Council

Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk

Stevenage Borough Council

Thurrock Council

Schemes by sector, 2026

Education

15

Housing

11

Civic, community and leisure

8

Blue light

4

Infrastructure and highways

4

Other

3

03 · How early we see it

Found before the planning system

Every scheme on the portal is logged with the RIBA stage it was found at. In the East of England this year, 38 of 45 were picked up at Stage 2 or earlier.

RIBA stage found at, 45 schemes

Stage 0 to 1: 14 schemes

Stage 2: 24 schemes

Stage 3 or later: 7 schemes

89% had no planning application when we found them.

04 · What a record tells you

What you get on each East of England scheme

Each PSC Pipeline record covers the client, the scope, the RIBA stage, the budget and funding position, procurement intentions, programme, planning status and risks, plus the consultant team where one has been appointed.

At RIBA Stage 0 to 2, how much of that is known varies from scheme to scheme. That is the trade-off of being early. An incomplete picture in time to act beats a complete one once the opportunity has gone.

Northvale Primary School expansion

Illustrative record, fictional scheme

RIBA 1

Client

Northvale Borough Council

Scope

Two-form entry expansion with a new teaching block, hall and external works

Budget and funding

£14m to £16m, capital programme and basic need grant

Procurement

Two-stage design and build through a framework, route due at cabinet

Programme

Design 2027, start on site 2028, complete 2029

Planning

Pre-application advice requested

Risks

Live school site, ground investigation outstanding

Consultant team

Architect and cost consultant appointed, M&E to follow

05 · Coverage

Counties we cover in the East of England

Subscribers choose the regions they follow. An Eastern subscription covers every public sector scheme we find in these counties, with updates each week.

Bedfordshire

Cambridgeshire

Essex

Hertfordshire

Norfolk

Suffolk

Figures on this page are for schemes added to the PSC portal between 1 January and 5 October 2026. Values are client-stated budgets at the time of capture and are rounded.

See what early looks like in the East of England

Five minutes on what a typical PSC Pipeline record shows, and what your team can do with it.