For many months a cross-party group of MPs from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, including Sarah Dines MP, have working on and have been united behind local government and businesses to call for the creation of a Freeport in the East Midlands and today at the Budget, The Chancellor announced they had succeeded.
The group have been working alongside the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership to develop and promote the bid, which has the potential to generate 60,000 new skilled jobs for the region and become the beating heart of the UK’s clean growth ambition.
An East Midlands Freeport will enjoy the unique intersection of air, rail and road connectivity, with excellent links to major deep-sea ports elsewhere in the country. The Freeport will play a key role in the levelling-up of the region, with the economic, environmental and employment benefits shared far beyond the freeport site.
With the future ambition of the Development Corporation to lead growth and regeneration in the region, ‘Made in the East Midlands’ can become the hallmark of advanced manufacturing and green technology for decades to come.
Sarah Dines said:
“I am absolutely delighted that in his Budget Announcement today, The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak confirmed 8 Freeport sites - one being an East Midlands Freeport.
This will help create 10s of 1000s of jobs for our Region and will propel the East Midlands forward into a position of economic power and I couldn’t be more pleased. If you follow my work as an MP you will know that I am passionate about bringing more skilled jobs to Derbyshire Dales and levelling up our area, which traditionally sometimes feels left behind. The Freeport is a brilliant step in the right direction.’’
