Issue - meetings

To enable the Cabinet to consider recommendations made by the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee in relation to this matter, together with the Leader of the Council’s response thereto.

RESOLVED that the recommendations made by the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee be endorsed and that the response of the Leader of the Council thereto be approved.

Cabinet was aware that, at its meeting held on 19 May 2022 (Minute 5 referred), the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee (“the Committee”) had undertaken an enquiry into the issue of Freeports generally, and specifically, into the progress of the proposals for Freeport East (its interlinking with Thames Freeport); specific measures on site (and particularly on the Harwich site); impact on previous planning permissions being implemented; and measures outside of the Freeport to harness the  maximum socio-economic benefit from them into the local community.

The Committee had been informed of the progress of the Freeport East Development as follows:

·      “Throughout 2020, the Council had worked with public and private sector partners on a bid to present the case for developing Freeport East as one of the Government’s nominated Freeports.

·      In the March 2021 Budget, Government had announced the intention to designate sites in Essex and Suffolk as ‘Freeport East’.

·      At their meeting on April 2021, Cabinet had received the initial Freeport East report, which set out the purpose of Freeports and the process and roadmap the public / private sector partnership would follow to receive formal designation by Government.

·      The Council’s Freeport East Portfolio Holder Working Party took place on the 2 September 2021 and agreed to support the Leader of the Council in providing a letter of support in respect of the Freeport East Outline Business Case.

·      That Working Party also recommended that the Council pursue steps that Hutchinson Ports Ltd could undertake as part of its commitment to Harwich International Port, the skills agenda so the local population could take on careers that would become available as a consequence of Freeport East, and the need to actively pursue the improvements to the A120 from the A12 through to Harwich.

·      In September 2021 Cabinet had endorsed the urgent decision taken by the Leader of the Council, on behalf of the Cabinet, to provide a letter of support for the principles in regard to retained business rates generated within the Freeport East Tax Site, to accompany the Freeport East Outline Business Case, which was submitted to Government on 10 September 2021.

·      On the 13 December 2021 the Outline Business Case was formally approved by Government, the three tax sites in Felixstowe, Harwich and at Gateway 14 near Stowmarket were agreed, published on GOV.UK and Statutory Instruments laid to enshrine them in legislation. 

·      Tendring District Council supported the approach to the Freeport East Full Business Case at Cabinet in March 2022 and included Freeport East in its Policy and Budget Framework at Full Council that month.

·      East Suffolk Council as the Lead Authority, alongside Freeport East, submitted the Full Business Case (FBC) to Government for Freeport East on behalf of partners on 14 April 2022.

·      Government will now respond to Freeport East’s FBC, with the final Full Business Case to be agreed between Government and Freeport East by August 2022.” 

Members of the Committee had developed key lines of enquiry in relation to this matter and through their questioning, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19