East Midlands leaders call for ‘urgent action’ on Freeport access
MPs and business leaders have warned the government that significant investment is at risk of being lost to other regions, unless improvements are made to a motorway junction near the East Midlands Freeport regeneration scheme.
This week, MP for Rushcliffe, James Naish, led renewed calls for improvements to Junction 24 of the M1, in order to unlock the ‘full potential’ of the East Midlands Freeport regeneration scheme.
An event held in Westminster this week marked the release of a report setting out the national importance of Junction 24 and the economic opportunities at stake, highlighting “bottleneck” transport issues which could block “billions” in investment, hamper supply chains, and stunt the growth of advanced manufacturing, logistics and clean energy industries in the region.
Tom Newman-Taylor, chief executive of East Midlands Freeport, said global investors were working to tight timelines, and require “confidence” that infrastructure will be delivered.
“There is real global appetite to invest in the East Midlands across sectors like advanced manufacturing, clean energy and logistics. Investors are planning now for projects that will come online by 2028 – during the lifetime of this Parliament,” he said.
“But if we are going to meet those timelines, decisions on Junction 24 need to be made by around 2027. Without that certainty, investment will move elsewhere in the UK or overseas. The opportunity is real, the partnerships are in place, and the programme is ready to move forward – what we need now is timely national backing.
“The level of support we saw in Westminster shows that there is strong regional backing for action. Now it’s time to work together to move this forward.”
Junction 24, known as the Kegworth Interchange, sits at the heart of the UK’s strategic network, serving East Midlands Airport, the country’s busiest express air freight hub, alongside major rail freight and road connections used by businesses across the UK.
The junction is a frequent pinch point for traffic – and was recommended for improvements as part of a wider National Highways improvement scheme more than two years ago by Transport body Midlands Connect.
A proposed set of improvements, including widening of the A50 eastbound link and a new free-flowing westbound link road, could speed up road connections with the A50 and A453.
James Naish MP, Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, added: “This junction sits at the heart of our regional economy and our national logistics network. Unlocking its capacity will help deliver jobs, investment and long-term growth for communities across the East Midlands and beyond.
“I look forward to continuing to work with public and private sector partners to make the case for the investment needed.”
