Norfolk will receive around £1 billion of upgrades and new infrastructure by 2030, more than any other county in the East of England.

This includes major upgrades at Whitlingham Water Recycling Centre, which treats wastewater for the Norwich area, and improvements to reduce storm overflow spills across the county, including at Caister, Wymondham, Great Yarmouth and Norwich.

Upgrades will also be made to sections of Anglian Water’s strategic pipeline, which will transport water from wetter parts of the region in the north, to drier areas in the south and east, including Norfolk, that need it most.

The East of England is one of the driest parts of the UK, but also one of the fastest-growing, with more than 720,000 new people expected to move to the region by 2043.

Research has shown that over the same period temperatures in Norfolk are set to increase by more than the national average.

Anglian Water’s plan is designed to deliver the investment needed to prepare the region for this level of growth.

The new Norwich hub was opened by the water company's CEO Mark Thurston at an event on Friday, April 10.

Jason Tucker, director of commercial operations for Anglian Water, said: “Between now and 2030, we’re making our biggest ever upgrade to the East of England’s water and infrastructure, and we’re investing more money into Norfolk than any other county in our region.

“That’s why we’re really pleased to be opening this new hub in Norwich, to bring our teams closer to some of the most important and exciting projects we’re working on.

“At a time when lots of offices are closing, this new hub demonstrates our commitment to connecting with the local communities here, as well as making life easier for our hundreds of colleagues who already live in the county.

“We’ll need to create hundreds of new roles to help us deliver this work by 2030, and we hope the Norwich hub will help us attract local people into high-quality, green jobs where they can improve their own local area."

© Eastern Daily Press