Tunbridge Wells in Kent has the most thriving construction landscape outside of London, a report by construction branding firm Monster-Mesh has found.
This is based on the: number of construction firms in the region; value per head; percentage increase in the workforce; total spend on construction branding; and the number of advertised construction jobs.
In Tunbridge Wells the region’s construction workforce is expected to increase by 4% between 2024 and 2029, and that’s with one job board already listing 116 construction jobs in the area.
Mark McLennan, founder at Monster-Mesh, said: “Tunbridge Wells is seeing major development activity at the moment, including multi-million-pound regeneration projects such as the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre and the town’s 15-year vision for the centre.
“This combined with a well-established construction landscape in the South East of England, appears to be driving confidence and potential growth for the sector in Tunbridge Wells.”
Redhill in Surrey is the second most thriving area for construction, with around 67 advertised construction jobs (that’s 118 per 100,000 residents), and the region can expect to see a 4% increase in its construction workforce by 2029 (forecast 2024-29).
Branding spend was also particularly strong, reaching £45,548 per 100,000 people, suggesting firms in Redhill are actively competing for growth.
After that comes Cambridge, where a 5% increase in construction jobs is forecast between 2024 and 2029.
The city also recorded 516 construction jobs advertised (that’s 410 per 100,000 people), making it a great place to be in the construction trade.
Around 17% of the UK’s construction businesses are located in the wider South East region.
Mark McLennan, Founder at Monster-Mesh, said: “While London continues to dominate in scale, our research highlights that many regional hubs are thriving thanks to a strong mix of business density, workforce growth, and investment in branding.
“Locations like Tunbridge Wells, Redhill and Cambridge highlight how branding spend can be a real marker of confidence in the sector, with firms actively competing for visibility as demand rises.”
