Planning secured for 5.5m sq ft Freeport project

Henry Boot and St John's College Cambridge secure planning consent for 5.5m sq ft Freeport development in Goole

Henry Boot announces that HBD, the group's property investment and development arm, in partnership with St John's College Cambridge, has secured an outline planning consent for FREEPORT 36, a nationally significant industrial & logistics scheme. It is anticipated that the first phase will deliver c.£130m GDV.

The consent allows for the creation of a 5.5m sq ft high quality, sustainable industrial and manufacturing park, with buildings ranging from 40,000 sq ft to over 1,000,000 sq ft. It is expected to create around 3,000 jobs in the local area, and 5,500 in the wider Yorkshire and Humber region. The Biodiversity Net Gain calculation forecasts over a 10% net gain for surrounding habitats.

The 300-acre site is located adjacent to Junction 36 of the M62 with convenient access to Goole Docks and the M18. The Humber Ports complex, which includes the four major ports of Hull, Goole, Immingham and Grimsby, is the busiest port complex in the UK. It handles approximately 17% of the nation's trade and is located within a four-hour drive of about 80% of the UK's population.

The site forms part of the Humber Freeport Goole tax site, which has already been officially designated following review and approval by the Treasury and HM Revenue & Customs.

Once operational, occupiers situated within the tax site can benefit from a range of financial incentives including Business Rates Relief, Enhanced Capital Allowances for investment in new plant and machinery assets, Stamp Duty Land Tax Relief on land purchases for qualifying commercial activity, and Enhanced Structures and Building Allowance for firms constructing or renovating buildings for non-residential use. Employers operating within a Freeport also pay 0% National Insurance Contributions on the salaries of eligible new employees at the site.

HBD became involved in the project in 2023 before submitting an outline planning application, which subsequently gained a resolution to grant consent this month subject to the conclusion of the Section 106 agreement. The next step will be to draw up detailed development plans, with the potential to start on site before the end of the year.

Tim Roberts, CEO at Henry Boot, commented: "Manufacturing and logistics hubs are a critical part of enabling business and economic growth across the country and HBD is bringing forward another large-scale project to support commerce in the Yorkshire region. The location and sustainability credentials of the development will attract high-quality, long-term occupiers in their own right, while advantages of the the scheme's strategic positioning within a freeport tax site will act as a further draw."

Suzie Wood, Head of Investment Property at St John's College, Cambridge commented: "The approval of the planning application is an exciting step forward to delivering a state of the art Industrial and Manufacturing Park within the Freeport tax zone. We are excited by the potential of the park to bring new investment and jobs to the region."

Finbarr Dowling, Chair of Humber Freeport, said: "This is tremendous news and is another major milestone in developing the Humber's economy. The locational advantages of Goole, along with its strong industrial cluster and Freeport incentives, offer end users a real competitive advantage. Industry leaders such as Siemens Mobility, Tesco Logistics and Guardian Glass are already located adjacent to the tax site, and have benefitted from this strategic location. The future of this site is very exciting."