Long-term trends and strategic challenges

Infrastructure for a competitive and sustainable economy

The private sector consistently identifies transport infrastructure deficits and housing affordability as key constraints to its competitiveness. The East of England has low population densities combined with long-distance commuting, resulting in a higher rate of travel per head than in any other region. Currently, 75 per cent of trips to work by the region’s residents are made by car. The region suffers further from congestion in urban areas and on the strategic road network and overcrowding on rail routes to London. Road and rail access to ports and airports does not adequately support the development of their future capacity, nor enable a greater proportion of goods and people to be moved by rail, which is important in reducing the environmental impacts of growth.

The continued attraction of the East of England and the Greater South East to mobile businesses and talented people will be determined in large part by our ability to keep pace with the investment in, and effectiveness of, the transport system of our competitors.

Key drivers will be improving journey times and journey time reliability through:

  • investment to tackle pinchpoints in the strategic road and rail network

  • improved access to our international gateways and increased capacity in the network that links regional cities to major markets such as London, the Midlands and the North

  • increasing the share of journeys using public transport and rail

  • greater use of technology to enable individuals and businesses to use the network more productively and in managing demand.

Tackling the growing problems of housing demand and affordability will also be important. Housing affordability affects the ability of businesses to attract and retain a skilled labour force, can dampen entrepreneurship as people are forced to lock up wealth in their homes, and lack of access to the private housing market can foster inter-generational cycles of deprivation. It is vital that the region responds effectively to these pressures over the long term to avoid a drain of talented people to other regions and nations.

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