Thames Freeport - Britain's Trading Future

[ 43 ] to ensure local areas have access to appropriate delivery vehicles to support growth and regeneration. Currently, the model for urban development corporations dates back to 1980 legislation and there is no equivalent of the locally-led New Town Development Corporation which is now possible following legislation in 2018. Pinsent Masons’ work in the East Midlands has developed the case to Government for enabling locally-led urban development corporations (UDCs) and modernising the 1980 legislation in relation to the powers of UDCs in such areas as planning, housing, transport and infrastructure. These same reforms could also bring benefits for the current Mayoral Development Corporations and for the several New Town Development Corporations that Government is understood to be planning for the OxCam Arc. Conclusion While the Thames Freeport will be brought forward at pace, with these ‘aggregation of marginal gains’ reforms — from inception to delivery and spurred on by the freeports agenda — infrastructure planning and delivery will be in an even better place to facilitate realising the benefits that the UK’s freeports have been promised to bring to the economy, jobs and local communities. Pinsent Masons is looking forward to continuing to work on and support these issues to ensure the success of the Thames Freeport and the other proposed freeports, and thereby playing its part in the UK’s national economic levelling up and recovery. Pinsent Masons’ business covers a wide variety of contentious and non- contentious ports and shipping matters. We have many years’ experience of advising public and private sector clients including governments, port authorities, project sponsors, delivery partners, port operators, contractors and funders, and so we understand the workings of the market and apply this context to our advice. We advise on the consenting, construction, operation and project financing of ports, harbours and terminals across the whole life-cycle worldwide. Our specialist lawyers are fully conversant with the technical and commercial complexities of port operation and development and are able to advise on legal structures and solutions for all aspects of any project or other initiative, from inception through to completion. Ports, harbours and freeports