Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing presented a report on proposals for the Council to join Ford Motor Company and other partners in the progression of a bid to create a Freeport at Dagenham Dock.

The Cabinet Member advised that the Government planned to create at least 10 Freeports across the UK to become new hubs for business and enterprise targeted at creating, as the Government has suggested, “thousands of jobs, regenerating communities and turbocharging Britain’s post-Brexit growth”.  Those Freeports would benefit from generous tax reliefs, simplified customs procedures and wider Government support to incentivise the growth of business.

In response to the Government’s plans, Ford had entered into an agreement with the Port of Tilbury and London Gateway Port to jointly bid for a Freeport as part of Ford’s strategy for the future of its business in the area, including their Dagenham site.  In order to comply with the Government’s bidding requirements, LBBD would be required to become a joint party to the bid which would entail direct involvement in the governance of the port. LBBD would also need to agree to other key issues such as a structure for investment of future retained business rates growth, a Local Development Order (LDO) to control development via planning and other measures required to support delivery of the Freeport.

The Cabinet Member concluded that if the Freeport bid was successful the project would bring a range of benefits to the Borough and its residents in the form of more and better jobs as well as significant investment in the Ford site and the wider Dagenham Dock area, supporting and enabling the Council’s vision for regeneration and inclusive growth in that area.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Approve the Council supporting Ford’s proposal for a Freeport and submitting the Freeport bid jointly with Ford and its key bid partners, including the Port of Tilbury, London Gateway Port and Thurrock Council, subject to Ford agreeing to work with the Council to support and enable wider regeneration in Dagenham Dock and to mitigate any negative impacts of the Freeport bid, and to delegate authority to the Director of Inclusive Growth, in consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing, to progress the negotiations with Ford;

(ii)  Approve the request for in-principle support for the Council becoming a party to the governance structure for the new Freeport,

(iii)  Delegate authority to the Director of Law and Governance, in consultation with the Council’s Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing, to agree to the formal arrangements for the Council’s role in the Freeport’s governance structure,

(iv)  Approve the request for in-principle support for a scheme for businesses rates relief, relief reimbursement by Government and the local investment of future retained business rates growth,

(v)  Delegate authority to the Finance Director, in consultation with the Council’s Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance to agree to the formal process for business rates relief and to agree a decision-making  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74