We are absolutely delighted to have been selected as a freeport location. We believe that the Thames Estuary is the right place to have freeport status, and are so pleased that the government thinks so too.
In 2020, the Thames Estuary Growth Board set out six key principles for a freeport bid, setting the direction and making clear to any bidders the outcome we need from a Thames Freeport. These principles were: economic, investment, innovation, environment, regeneration and community.
The last one of our principles is the most important to us.
We have tirelessly lobbied government and campaigned to show our support for the Thames Freeport, as we know just how beneficial it will be to our region, especially to those who need it most.
Getting a freeport is an essential part of the Estuary’s recovery and will help it to level-up at this crucial moment in time, post-Brexit and post-Covid. The Thames freeport will unlock £400 million of port investment in deprived areas and create more than 25,000 quality jobs, with significant investment in upskilling opportunities.
The Thames Freeport that DP World, Forth Ports, Ford Dagenham and Thames Enterprise Park will deliver will be a pioneering, world-class freeport, and a magnet for inward investment.
This is a real triumph for the Thames Estuary, and one which will help us fulfil our action plan, The Green Blue, which sets out our steps to fulfilling the huge, untapped potential of the region. A key part of our action plan is to champion good, green growth – that means sustainable, economic growth that works as one with our environment and natural resources, never against them. The Thames Freeport is vital for this.
We are looking forward to celebrating this success and seeing through the potential that the Thames Freeport will bring. We’re in a good place.