Hull City Council has welcomed the news that sites to the east of the city are included in the first wave of UK Freeports, announced by the Government in the Spending Review.
Strategic industrial sites, including Greenport at Alexandra Dock, and the Yorkshire Energy Park on the council-owned former Hedon Airfield, are part of a portfolio ready for further investment from the rapidly expanding renewables and low-carbon sectors, adding to the city’s already-strong green credentials and the Council’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
Freeports offer considerable advantages to investors which will lead to a significant investment in high quality employment, building on what the city has already achieved in recent years through the delivery of its City Plan.
Leader of Hull City Council, Cllr Daren Hale, said: “We are proud of our record in attracting new investment and quality jobs in the rapidly emerging low carbon sector and we are equally proud to be in the vanguard of using the Government’s fiscal devolution incentives to deliver significant growth and a step-change in Hull’s economy, resulting in real career prospects for our people.
“Our record in developing out our Enterprise Zones has been second to none and we are focused on re-investing the resultant business rate uplift into initiatives such as the Employment Hub in the Central Library, which is creating tangible opportunities for local residents in our expanding local economy.”
