The Essex Chambers of Commerce is delighted to hear that the Thames Freeport has received final government sign off, unlocking new high-quality jobs and much-needed investment for the region.
The Freeport will now receive up to £25 million seed funding from government and potentially hundreds of millions in locally retained business rates to drive growth in the UK’s advanced manufacturing, biomanufacturing, logistics, and low carbon industries.
Reacting to the Government’s Announcement, Denise Rossiter, CEO of Essex Chambers of Commerce said:
“The Essex Chambers of Commerce has long been a supporter of the Thames Freeport and the decision from Government to give the go ahead and formally constitute its board and start to fully operate is wholly welcomed by all at the Chamber.
Thames Freeport will help drive investment into sectors including automated and electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery storage, generating thousands of jobs and boosting the local economy. Significant investment in training and skills will contribute to the ‘levelling-up’ of the communities and businesses in South Essex. This will also be a great opportunity to highlight skills needs in the region as a whole and could be used to drive the skills agenda forward for Essex, something we are passionate about as we develop our Local Skills Improvement Plan.
It will be fantastic to see the investment and trading opportunities that the Thames Freeport will bring to the Essex business community. With 1,700 acres of development land, no location can match Thames Freeport for access to Europe’s largest consumer market and its excellent connectivity to 18 million people.
We will continue to give our full support to the Thames Freeport and look forward to seeing how it will help our region flourish.”
You can read the full press release from the Thames Freeport HERE.
Please find the DLUHC national press notice HERE. Along with written statements made in the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
