SOUTH Essex’s economy could be “transformed” over the coming years by Thames Freeport, according to bosses who say they are beginning discussions to bring in companies of “national importance”

Construction is underway for more vast warehouses on the sprawling site at London Gateway port to cater for businesses attracted by the perks that go with being situated within a freeport.

Alan Shaoul, UK chief finance officer of site-owner DP World, said: “There’s three or four very large projects that have been talked about, for which the freeport has been shortlisted as a potential site. If they happened it would be of national significance.

“Most of them are confidential but to give an example, Rolls Royce has had a request for proposals for a site that are interested in hosting their modular nuclear reactors, small nuclear reactors. They want high-end manufacturing facilities.

“This is very early stage but it’s things like that.”

Thurrock Gazette:

Ruth Kelly, chairman of Thames Freeport, added: “I think it’s fair to say there has been a sharp increase from investors. It’s been noticeable right across the estate and at Ford Dagenham as well.

“This is the first time we’ve had interest from those sorts of manufacturing companies. It would transform this part of the local economy.”

Since delivery firm UPS set up at the freeport in 2017, other companies including Lidl, Dixons, Carphone Warehouse and SH Pratt Bananas have followed.

Mr Shaoul said: “The timing has been quite fortuitous for securing freeport status in the Thames. It’s coincided with a quite a difficult few years in terms of supply chains and the need to secure additional warehousing, logistics space and all those capabilities.

Read more >> Hopes new freeport could end up creating 25,000 new jobs

“By having land that’s ready to be developed because it has planning consent, and the infrastructure being there, we are able to build warehouses for future occupiers very quickly.

“On the back of that and combined with the benefits, both financial and support around skills, attracts a lot of interest into the logistics park or what we call port-centric logistics, people who use the port and want a warehouse near here to serve the local market.”

150 vacancies - and many more are expected

Hundreds of jobs have already been created at the new freeport site, with 150 vacancies currently open and many more expected in the future.

Bosses have explained about their plans to create decades of employment at the site, including apprenticeships and many roles for local people as well as attracting people from areas including Kent and London.

Stuart Wallace, chief finance officer for the Port of Tilbury owner Forth Ports, said: “I think people are really excited about the fact the Thames Freeport is very proactive in looking at how we deliver the skills that are needed.

“There are good active conversations with people who are looking not just at the land and the physical building, but how do they get their business up and running.

“It’s the longer debate about making sure people coming through the education cycle think about the importance of the key sectors that we’ve got in the area and how the freeport can help generate that skills base and the economic activity going forward.”

Thurrock Gazette:

Dubai-based DP World owns The London Gateway port and logistics park, together with the Port of Tilbury and Ford’s nearby Dagenham plant form the newly-created Thames Freeport.

Tilbury has 100 job vacancies and London Gateway is looking for 50 new people for a variety of jobs.

But Tilbury ports’ warehouse and supply chain operative apprenticeship programme has been running since 2016 with 70 apprentices aged between 18 and 24 having successfully completed this apprenticeship.