A BID has been submitted to Government to establish Teesside as the UK’s first and biggest Freeport - which could lead to 18,000 new jobs being created.

Rather than restricting the Teesside Freeport to just one area, the bid, put together by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, covers sites across the region, including Teesworks, Wilton International, Teesside International Airport, the Port of Middlesbrough, the Port of Hartlepool, Liberty Steel and LV Shipping. By spreading out the Freeport maximum benefit can be gained for the people of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.

Economic analysis carried out for the bid found that the Teesside Freeport could create more than 18,000 skilled, good-quality, well paid jobs over the next five years.

Covering 4,500 acres, the equivalent of 2,550 football pitches, the Teesside Freeport will be the biggest in the UK.

Areas given Freeport status within the region would benefit from a wide package of tax reliefs, simplified customs procedures, streamlined planning processes to boost redevelopment and government support to promote regeneration and innovation.

The Teesside Freeport bid is designed to turbo-charge what the region already has a world-renowned reputation for excellence in, such as manufacturing, engineering, chemicals and processing.

The new free-trade zone would boost the local economy by £3.2 billion and increase inward investment into Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool by over £1.4 billion.

The bid submission is the culmination of years of work for the mayor who has been at the forefront of developing the UK’s Freeport policy for the last three years. First working alongside Rishi Sunak before he entered government, and then taking the lead in driving forward the case for Freeports and making sure their delivery is a success.

Mr Houchen said: “After campaigning for Freeports to be set up in the UK for the past three years, I’m delighted to finally be able to submit the Teesside Freeport bid to government so that the people of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool can reap the benefits of these amazing free-trade zones.

“Make no mistake, the Teesside Freeport will absolutely be game changing for Teesside - it will turbo-charge the local economy over the coming years and create thousands of good-quality jobs for local people.

“When I set out on this journey three years ago with the now Chancellor, many people said the UK would never introduce Freeports and that no government would make such sweeping changes to trade and customs policy. But with our bid now with government we could have a decision in just a matter of weeks making Teesside home to the UK’s first and biggest Freeport.

“Despite what detractors of Freeports say, these free-trade zones are not about reducing environmental protections or workers’ rights. Our bid builds on our region’s enviable global reputation as the go-to place when it comes to engineering, chemicals and processing. It will allow us to become a magnet for even more international investment and create opportunities to reshore manufacturing jobs that we haven’t seen in this country for decades.”

With bids for Freeport status from around the country now submitted to government, an announcement on which areas have been successful in their bid could come as part of the Budget on March 3, with the first tax and customs incentives being in place as early as September.

Cllr Mary Lanigan, Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said: “A Freeport would bring real and lasting prosperity to Redcar and Cleveland and provide jobs which will bring a better standard of living for many families.

“We have worked closely with our partners to ensure the people of our area would benefit from the Freeport and that the prosperity it will bring feeds back into our local economy. Reaching this point is a key moment and we hope the Government will recognise the huge potential for economic growth that we have in Redcar and Cleveland.

“We now look forward to working with everyone involved to make a great success of such a fantastic opportunity.”

Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar, said: “The difference a Freeport would make for Teesside on the whole is huge - but the impact on the local economy in Redcar & Cleveland specifically will be staggering.

"And these aren’t benefits and jobs in decades to come - we're talking about a huge surge of investment for Teesside over the next 5 years.

"In that time will see the creation of over 18,000 jobs - the majority of those on Wilton and Teesworks.

“That’s because of the incentives available, as well as our fantastic port and skilled local workforce, will make our industrial sites some of the most attractive places to set up shop on the planet.

"When you consider the effect on the wider economy that inward investment on this scale would mean for Redcar & Cleveland alone - demand for housing, increased footfall for retail, well-paid employees with money to spend in our bars and restaurants - I cannot overstate the importance of this bid.

"Outside the EU we're already beginning to see the tangible benefits for Teesside. These benefits are only achievable because of our decision to leave, the flexibility of the deal we have struck with the EU and because this Government is prepared to back Teesside.

"After decades of Labour's trademark negativity, we're striding confidently into a global future which will truly put our area back on the map as an economic powerhouse."

Simon Clarke, Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said: "I want to thank Ben Houchen, our local council leaders and businesses from across the region for coming together with such a fantastic bid for a Freeport in Teesside.

"In submitting such a strong bid, Teesside is taking a monumental step towards what will be the most significant opportunity for our region in a generation. 

"This Government was elected on the promise to level up the entire UK. A huge part of that endeavour rests upon changing the fortunes of regions like Teesside which, for decades, have been left behind in terms of economic development. 

"The Government has directly invested hundreds of millions of pounds into Teesside.

"We have already announced £14.17 million for Middlesbrough and £5.83 million for Loftus as part of the £1 billion Future High Streets Fund. And the coming weeks and months will see the announcement of Middlesbrough's share of up to £25 million of the £3.6 bn Towns Fund - Redcar has also just submitted its bid.

"And through the tax incentives that a Freeport would bring, the Government would be investing many millions more in Teesside for many years to come. 

"In Rishi Sunak - whose Richmond constituency borders my own - we have a chancellor who truly understands Teesside and knows exactly what it will take to transform our region into one which can thrive as the UK fulfils its global ambitions in our post-Brexit future.

"Rishi understands what a difference the establishment of a Freeport in Teesside would make in terms of turbo-charging investment and job creation on a massive scale across our region. 

“And make no mistake, all of this is possible because we can do things differently now we have left the European Union. You will often hear it said that EU nations are able to establish a Freeport. But the restrictions imposed by the EU make it a pointless exercise. 

"Now free and independent, and with a Conservative Government backing us to the hilt, the future of Teesside is looking very exciting indeed."

Jessie Joe Jacobs, Labour candidate for Tees Valley Mayor, said: “Beyond Covid, we need to restore hope, jobs, and opportunity to this area. The most important priority for me as Tees Mayor will be in creating the good jobs our people so desperately need and deserve. 

“Freeports aren’t the silver bullet for bringing those good jobs but if we do it right, we can make a freeport work for us. As Mayor I will do all I can to make that happen, I will also ensure it there are the important protections needed to ensure it creates good local jobs and opportunities for local business.

“There are real concerns that a Freeport could be used to avoid tax or reduce workers’ rights. We need to guard against this through a good jobs charter, giving a guide to businesses around the good jobs we expect to come to a free port. If jobs are created through the Freeport they need be good quality, well-paid ones that offer real security.

“We should also ensure new business and business start up are given opportunities through the port, through strategic funds; let’s ensure it doesn’t just help big business avoid tax or shift jobs from other parts of the Tees Valley to this new ‘special economic’ and ‘custom zones’. Instead we will ensure it is a catalyst for small and local business growth; creating new good jobs."