Investment in new sites and a focus on energy-efficient housing has added up to a 'busy and successful year' at construction firm RG Carter.

The family-run group saw turnover and profits grow, with pre-tax profits of £8.2m for the year to December 31 2016, up from £7.45m for the 12 months before, while turnover grew to £286.4m, up by 7% from £267.6m.

Chairman Robert Carter said the group had made investments for its future.

In the statement, filed recently at Companies House, he said: 'We have made significant investments in new offices at Chelmsford and Cambridge for our construction business and an engineering base at Attleborough for our growing engineering business.

'We have continued to invest in plant and equipment and this year we have invested in new plant at our quarry in Sheringham.'

All sectors of the business had performed well over the year, said the board in the directors' strategic report.

The accounts filed for subsidiary RG Carter Limited showed there had been significant growth in housing, particularly in the energy-efficient homes market, with 217 Passivhaus units currently under construction.

Mr Carter said the group, a member of the EDP/EADT Top 100 list of Norfolk and Suffolk's biggest companies by turnover, had continued to invest in training staff with the Carter Academy being an important part of its plans.

Despite recognising challenges to the construction industry from the national economic uncertainty, the group said there was a reasonable order book for the current financial year.

The group has worked on projects including the aviation academy near Norwich Airport, the Carrowbreck Meadow housing development in Hellesdon and a care village Rayne Park at Bowthorpe.

It was also recently announced as the preferred bidder for the operations and maintenance base for the Galloper wind farm off the Suffolk coast.

Mr Carter also paid tribute to Don Carter who retired as managing director of the construction business during the financial year, after 45 years with the company.