LOGISTICS
“Potential - PD Ports’ Jerry
Hopkinson says a freeport could
be transformational for Teesside.
An innovative and ambitious
freeport could enable the whole
Tees Valley to further capitalise
on its strengths as a leading
chemicals and manufacturing
centre, increasing the
potential for additional inward
investment and creating
thousands more jobs.”
The masterplan vision aims to propel Teesport
as complementary components of a rebalanced UK
economy, enhance the international competitiveness
of the UK and Tees Valley and facilitate its
continued growth.
As the custodians of the River Tees, Jerry
highlights the critical role the many businesses
operating along the waterway play in the future
success of the area and the potential benefits
freeport status could bring to the region.
He explains: “PD Ports is a longstanding supporter
of freeports and we were delighted to welcome
ministers to announce their plans last year.
“In June we submitted our response to the
government’s consultation on freeports, which
underlines the huge investment and jobs boost that
a freeport located on the River Tees can deliver for
the local and regional economy.
“We have also stressed how the right
freeports model could turbocharge development
opportunities at a number of sites located on both
banks of the River Tees.
“An innovative and ambitious freeport could
enable the whole Tees Valley to further capitalise
on its strengths as a leading chemicals and
manufacturing centre, increasing the potential for
additional inward investment and creating thousands
more jobs.”
This builds on the 32,000 jobs already identified by the
Tees Valley Combined Authority in its response to the
government’s consultation.
The response also highlights the region’s success in
creating strong partnerships to attract new investment,
including PD Ports’ track record of working alongside
businesses and stakeholders to bring over £1bn of direct
and indirect investment to the Tees Valley. This critical point
reflects the government’s clear view that freeports should
be founded on close collaboration between the private and
public sectors.
Jerry continued: “Both ourselves and the Tees Valley
Combined Authority have highlighted the transformative
potential that freeport status offers and we’ve worked hard
to see how we can bring that potential to reality.
“As the custodians of the River Tees, we share the
ambition of both local and national government, our
partners across the region and, most importantly, our fellow
citizens in the Tees Valley to work together to use freeport
status to win new investment, drive regeneration and
create thousands of jobs here on Teesside.
“The River Tees is one of our region’s - and indeed the
north of the UK’s - greatest assets, able to handle amongst
the largest vessels in the world, offering state-of-the-art
port facilities and infrastructure and thousands of acres of
strategically located development land.
“Combined with the region’s leading research and
technological capabilities, its highly skilled workforce and
proud manufacturing traditions, there is, literally, nowhere
else in the UK better equipped to make freeports a success
and there are few places where the chance to secure
regeneration would be more welcomed by its people.
“We’re calling on government to give the port and the
region this opportunity and very much look forward to
working together with the Tees Valley Combined Authority,
Tees Valley mayor, businesses, our communities and other
stakeholders throughout the region to secure this once-ina-lifetime
opportunity.”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 33