Why East Midlands Freeport is the engine room of inclusive growth

The UK’s only inland freeport has a role to play in connecting left-behind areas with the sectors of tomorrow, writes Tom Newman-Taylor, chief executive of East Midlands Freeport.

The East Midlands has always had the raw ingredients for economic success. It sits at the heart of the UK, has a long industrial legacy and is home to a cluster of world-class universities, manufacturing leaders and brands. Yet for too long its potential has been undermined by fragmented investment, infrastructure bottlenecks, and a persistent productivity gap.

The newly published East Midlands Inclusive Growth Commission report is a welcome and timely intervention. It offers a bold, data-driven case for why the region needs a new settlement – one that devolves more power and resources to institutions like the East Midlands Combined County Authority, giving them the tools to shape growth rooted in people and productivity.

It rightly recognises that long-term growth must be built from the ground up – shaped by the needs of real communities, not just the fastest-growing sectors. That’s about more than connecting investment to sites, it’s about making sure people in places like Mansfield and Ashfield, which are rich in talent, can access and thrive in the jobs we help to create.

EMIP is one of three tax sites. Credit: East Midlands Freeport

Going beyond vision, it brings clarity to the region’s investment potential and outlines an actionable framework for long-term, inclusive growth. This is the model we’ve been delivering: clean energy, upgraded infrastructure, and a skills-led approach that generates long-term value for the region and the UK as a whole.

East Midlands Freeport isn’t a concept on paper. It’s active, investable and already delivering. With more than £9bn in GVA forecast, £1bn in retained business rates to be invested locally and £150m in early-stage investment already secured, we’re demonstrating how retained public funding unlocks private capital. This principle is core to how Freeports work, and the Commission’s recommendations.

Nor is the Freeport about tax incentives in isolation, but unlocking growth in strategic sectors – like decarbonising industry, advanced mobility and high-value manufacturing – and technologies driving the next industrial revolution.

Across our three tax sites – Ratcliffe-on-Soar, East Midlands Airport and Gateway Industrial Cluster (EMAGIC), and the East Midlands Intermodal Park (EMIP) – we’re enabling the development of clean energy hubs, logistics clusters and advanced manufacturing centres. Together, these sites span over 500 hectares within the UK’s Golden Triangle of freight, reaching 85% of the population within four hours by road, rail or air.

One of the report’s most powerful ideas is its concept of an “Opportunity Escalator”, a framework for ensuring that people don’t just find work but have clear routes to progress onto higher-value roles. This captures something we are actively working to deliver, ensuring people benefit from progression, not just jobs. That’s why our investment is focused on places as much as sectors, including the launch of our Skills and Communities Fund, a key driver of career pathways for today’s workforce and the next generation.

But progress depends on more than ambition, there are constraints that need to be addressed, and quickly.

Ensuring connectivity for the tax sites is key. Credit: East Midlands Freeport

The most urgent is congestion at M1 Junction 24, which serves East Midlands Airport, the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange, our region’s major manufacturers and our Freeport sites. In partnership with Mayor Claire Ward, National Highways, local authorities and site promoters, we’re driving efforts to find a long-term solution. Without our intervention, traffic is projected to naturally rise further still by 50% by 2041, and that’s before any development has been factored in.

Without serious intervention that includes funding, planning and coordination between local and national agencies, we risk stalling not just our Freeport projects, but housing, investment and industrial transformation opportunities across the region. These barriers go beyond freight and road capacity, addressing them will unlock the full potential of the regional labour market.

We also face delays in accessing the very business rates we are generating. These revenues are already being collected, and with early access, we could accelerate infrastructure delivery, de-risk our sites for global investors and deliver economic value far faster. But at present, that capital is locked behind policy timelines and administrative processes that do not reflect the urgency of what’s at stake.

Another challenge is confidence. Freeports have come in for some criticism in recent years, from both sides of the political divide. Yet we’ve built something that goes beyond outdated perceptions. Our governance structure includes public sector leadership at every level. Our delivery is aligned to local industrial strategies, Net Zero ambitions and the inclusive growth goals set out by the Commission. And every reinvested pound will support the people, places and projects that make this region more globally competitive and locally resilient.

Mayor Claire Ward is championing a vision of inclusive, place-based growth, uniting public and private partners to deliver long-term economic opportunity across the region. Her leadership is helping turn policy into delivery, and ambition into action. Working together, along with EMCCA as part of that shared mission, we are confident we can accelerate opportunity for communities, employers and future-shaping sectors.

We don’t claim to have all the answers, but we do have a model that is working and momentum that shouldn’t be lost. The Commission’s report makes it clear that a more inclusive, productive and sustainable East Midlands is within reach. But it will only happen if we act with urgency, clarity and purpose.

We’ve built the partnerships, proven the commercial case, and aligned with policy – now we need the tools to deliver.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar is instantly recognisable. Credit: East Midlands Freeport