Region’s LEPs Welcome Humber Freeport Bid Submission

Update 3rd March 2021:  The Humber has been announced as one of the first eight freeports during the Chancellor’s 2021 Budget. Click here to read more.

The Greater Lincolnshire and Humber Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) have welcomed the region’s bold bid to form a Humber-wide Freeport, encompassing ports across the area.

Such a development has the potential to boost the economy of the region by providing investment, highly skilled jobs, training opportunities and the development of more clean growth and decarbonisation developments on the Humber – all of which are major priorities of both LEPs.

A formal coalition led by ABP submitted the plans to Government recently, which were drawn up with support from the four Humber local authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, North and North East Lincolnshire, alongside both LEPs and partnering businesses across both banks of the estuary.

The ports of Goole, Grimsby, Hull and Immingham, which this bid incorporates, are already of huge importance to the Humber’s economy, as well as the UK’s economy as a whole, and Freeport status could further strengthen their position and strategic importance as well as bringing a boost to both the Humber region and the UK’s economy as a whole.

Planned new developments east of Hull, at Goole and at Killingholme – accelerated by Freeport tax incentives – would build on the success of the Humber Enterprise Zone in attracting investment to the area.

Stephen Parnaby OBE, Chair of Humber LEP said: “The submission made this week is an exciting prospect for the whole Humber region, with strong impetus on both sides of the estuary to make our bid for a Humber-wide Freeport a reality, bringing in new jobs and investment and maximising the potential of all of our ports.

“It is an example of the progress we can achieve by close collaboration, the will to drive forward the economy of the Humber region and to see this part of the world to continue to build on a foundation of partnership working and shared common goals.”