GLASGOW is to bid to be one of Scotland’s two Green Freeports, creating a rail, air and sea economic zone around the city expected to help bring thousands of jobs.
The plan is being drawn up for a Clyde Green Freeport by the city region councils with Glasgow Airport, Clydeport, which is a major landowner on the Clyde, and the Mossend International Railfreight Park in North Lanarkshire.
It is thought the status will attract major new investment to Glasgow City Region, develop global trading opportunities and create tens of thousands of new jobs.
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Details of the bid are not being disclosed until it is submitted to the Scottish and UK Governments later this month.
Scotland is to be home to two Green Freeports, which is defined as a “large, zoned area within a defined boundary which includes a rail, sea or airport”.
The Glasgow region bid is understood to include all three.
Operators and businesses in the freeport zone can benefit from a package of tax and other incentives.
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Kevin Rush, Clyde Green Freeport bid senior responsible officer and director of regional economic growth for Glasgow City Region, said: “As Scotland’s economic powerhouse, Glasgow City Region is uniquely positioned to create a highly successful green freeport to put the country at the forefront of global trade and decarbonisation.
“We have everything necessary to make a successful bid: unrivalled connectivity across the UK and beyond; one of the most educated populations in the UK; a GVA of £47.3bn and 33% of Scotland’s GDP; three world-class innovation districts; home to internationally acclaimed universities and research institutes; and renowned business expertise across key sectors of aerospace, advanced engineering, manufacturing, maritime and medical.
“As well as the enormous economic boost and competitive advantage a successful bid would bring to Glasgow City Region, it would also support enterprise, regeneration and trade across the rest of Scotland and the UK.”
Other bids are expected from Aberdeen, Forth region and Cromarty in the north of Scotland
Ronald Leitch, operations director at Glasgow Airport, said: “We are excited to be part of the Clyde Green Freeport bid.
"As the industrial powerhouse of Scotland, the Glasgow City Region is the natural home for a freeport which will stimulate jobs, increase trade, attract new companies and make it easier for existing ones to export their goods and services.
“Already home to British Airways, Rolls Royce, the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland and Boeing, becoming a freeport will unlock huge development potential at the airport cluster and bolster the west of Scotland’s global reputation as a centre of excellence for aerospace and advanced manufacturing.”
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