Thames Freeport - Britain's Trading Future

[ 106 ] Local authorities and big businesses are not always renowned for being amicable bedfellows. However, integral to the success of Thames Freeport to date has been the strength and depth of partnership between local authorities and private sector partners. While Thames Freeport is private sector led (Forth Ports, DP World and Ford), the neighbouring local authorities have been involved from the start, setting the vision for their place and they are incredibly excited about the possibilities and opportunities freeport status will bring to the wider area and its residents. Thurrock Council is the lead authority for the Freeport, and has had a long-established relationship with the port sector, with a successful track record in its planning team dealing both speedily and positively with development schemes — and the council’s approval of the LDO at London Gateway Distribution Park was literally ground-breaking as it means that there are shovel- ready sites across the area. Barking and Dagenham’s internationally recognised relationship with Ford needs no introduction — they even made a film about it. There is a long and proud local connection to the ports and the maritime heritage in the area including nationally significant historical events such as Queen Elizabeth I amassing her troops at Tilbury fort to stave off the Spanish Armada and the arrival of MV Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks in 1948, the latter of which is celebrated every year on the anniversary by partners and the community. The ports and Ford have been employing local people since they opened. They are part of the fabric of the area. The mutual benefit of delivering transformational change across an entire area, bringing tens of thousands of new jobs, with training and skills opportunities and attracting new businesses and over £4 billion investment into one of the most deprived areas of the country, is not an opportunity to be missed. Key to this private/public sector relationship is that Thames Freeport has understood the wider geographical impact potential beyond the administrative boundaries of local authorities. Local authorities, when shaping and promoting growth, regeneration and place-making are constantly needing to balance the needs of residents with those of businesses, as well as future proofing the area for future generations. Communities around many of the ports in the UK are some of the most deprived. Thames Freeport brings with it the opportunity to tackle a number of key socioeconomic issues which have long prevented some communities from fulfilling their potential. Unemployment rates are above both national and regional averages, with 19,000 people unemployed across the Freeport outer boundary. The London Gateway and Tilbury tax sites are in Thurrock, which experiences above average unemployment (21 per cent above UK average) with below average (by 12 per Local authorities get business, do business and mean business, too Port of Tilbury T H U R R O C K , B A R K I N G & D A G E N H A M , H AV E R I N G