Ipswich degree apprentice celebrates professional achievement
An Ipswich-based Structural Engineer is celebrating after achieving Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status from the Engineering Council just five years after leaving sixth form. Liam Swann, 24, joined structural engineering design business, Superstructures, in 2019 from One Sixth Form College in Ipswich. The company’s first apprentice, while working for the business he attended Anglia Ruskin University […]
How the region’s construction industry is tackling the skills shortage
The construction industry faces a long-running shortage of skilled workers – particularly in the east of England where demand is among the highest in the UK. There are a host of large-scale infrastructure projects, as well as high targets for housebuilding, which will need a large, skilled workforce to make a reality. However, despite the […]
Topping out ceremony marks milestone for Fore Hamlet development
The topping out ceremony for new Council housing on Fore Hamlet was celebrated today (Tuesday 13 May 2025) by Ipswich Borough Council and its house building company Handford Homes. The 30 flats which are being built at the former Hope Church site by SEH French include eight one-bedroom apartments, 20 two-bedroom apartments and two disabled […]
Plans submitted for new cafe franchise at former Grimwades store in Ipswich
A planning application for a new cafe franchise has been submitted for the long-empty former Grimwades building in Ipswich. Ipswich Borough Council bought the building on the Cornhill in April after it had been left vacant for the last 13 years. Jamaica Blue, a casual dining cafe franchise, has now submitted a planning application for […]
Work starts on revamp of East Anglia’s largest theatre
The Regent Theatre in Ipswich has shut its doors as work on its £3.45 million makeover gets underway. The project, led by Ipswich Borough Council, will see the Grade II-listed venue upgraded and modernised, improving the front of house facilities. Customers with accessibility needs will have better access to the building through the new entrance, […]
Portman Road aquatics centre plans get the go-ahead
Plans for a state-of-the-art aquatics centre in Portman Road in Ipswich have been given the green light. Ipswich Borough Council’s planning and development committee unanimously rubber stamped the plans at a meeting on Tuesday, April 30. The council’s ambitious proposal, supported by Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Town Football Club, looks to rejuvenate the area, […]
Trailblazing female crane operator inspires the next generation of women in construction
A trailblazing crane operator – the first woman to qualify in the UK – took centre stage at the latest Women in Construction Anglia Lunch this week. The sold-out event at Suffolk New College in Ipswich, on Wednesday April 30, was attended by almost 100 people and showcased the vast diversity of roles in the […]
Future builders get behind-the-scenes tour during site visit in Suffolk
Rose and Eastlight Community Homes opened the gates to their Whatfield Road construction site in Elmsett last week to a group of enthusiastic future builders. Pupils and staff from Elmsett Church of England Primary School enjoyed an educational visit to the site, with the aim of inspiring more young people to enter the sector. Pupils […]
Application for Sea Link electricity connection accepted by Planning Inspectorate
A National Grid application for a proposed 85-mile high-voltage electricity connection from Kent to Suffolk has been accepted for consideration by the Planning Inspectorate. Plans for Sea Link – a mainly offshore electricity connection from Pegwell Bay in Kent to the Suffolk Coast between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness – have been accepted, with the project now […]
Coffee overtakes tea as builders’ favourite brew, survey reveals
A survey of a construction company’s staff has revealed coffee has overtaken tea as its builders’ favourite choice of hot drink – with chocolate Hobnobs being their first choice to dunk. To mark National Tea Day, on April 21, Barratt and David Wilson Homes asked more than 200 of their construction staff across East Anglia […]
