Humber Freeport Company takes listed space

The organisation has moved its team into Associated British Ports’ grade two-listed Grimsby Dock Office.

The Humber ports handle around 17% of the nation’s trade, and the Freeport expands across the Humber including ABP’s four major ports of Grimsby, Goole, Hull, and Immingham.

ABP said that the Grimsby Dock Office is just one element of its property and development opportunities – from heritage assets to large scale development sites like the Humber International Enterprise Park (HIEP) in Hull, offering 468 acres of prime development land, including 212 acres of rail-linked tax-assisted port estate.

Greg Lacey, head of property for ABP in the Humber said: “The Humber Freeport is a fantastic opportunity for the UK to attract new inward investment from both international and domestic businesses.

“We have several complementary development sites across the North and South Bank, all of which have their own USPs and the ability to attract transformational projects to the region. What is also exciting, is the opportunity for the development sites to play a vital part in the Humber’s transformation to green energy and decarbonisation.

“We welcome Simon and the Humber Freeport Company team to Grimsby, which is the customs zone of the Freeport, and located close to the offices of North East Lincolnshire Council, which is the accountable body for Humber Freeport.”

Simon Green, chief executive of Humber Freeport said: “This is another significant landmark for Humber Freeport, giving us a base in the heart of the region from which to drive further investment.

“Large-scale developments with a total value of more than £1bn have already been announced for freeport sites in the Humber, demonstrating how attractive our proposition is for inward investors.

“That investment in turn creates skilled jobs for local people, broadening our region’s supply chain while driving innovation and economic growth.”

The Humber Freeport offers a range of incentives relating to customs, tax, planning, infrastructure, and innovation. Tax benefits are available to investors at the Freeport’s three tax sites of Hull East, Able Humber Port and a 500-acre allocation in Goole, signed off by government this February.

Among the projects coming forward under the Freeport’s remit are the £200m Yorkshire Energy Park at the former Hedon Aerodrome and a £180m hydrogen proposal for Saltend Chemicals Park. In a deal with Wykeland, which controls half the Goole site, Finnish paper business Metsa is to develop a 3m sq ft facility.