Freeport status and an influx of major investment have helped Goole become the “case study for economic growth” in the Humber region.
Spearheaded by investment from global organisations, including Siemens Mobility and Finnish manufacturer Metsä Tissue, the East Yorkshire town has rapidly become one of the region’s growth hotspots.
Leading players involved in the remarkable regeneration of the town formed a panel at an “Invest in Goole” breakfast event, hosted by publishing and events business Insider Media.
Among them was Humber Freeport CEO Simon Green, who highlighted the important role freeport status is playing in driving and supporting investments.
Goole has one of three Humber Freeport tax sites, offering investors a variety of incentives aimed at unlocking development and driving skills, innovation and employment growth.
Mr Green was joined on the panel by representatives from East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Siemens Mobility, Beal Homes, Metsä Tissue and Henry Boot Developments.
Henry Boot is acting as the Development Partner for the southern part of the freeport tax site in Goole.
The company was represented at the event, held at the RaisE Business Centre in Goole, by Tom Wheldon, Director and Head of Region for Yorkshire and North East.
Tom Wheldon, Director at Henry Boot Developments, said Goole had become “the case study for economic growth” in the region.
Mr Wheldon said: “Goole has become something of a case study for economic growth in the region. It’s a really exciting time for the town, and over the next few months and years we can take some significant strides forward.
“Freeport status is already having a big impact and enables significant, long-term investment decisions to be made which benefit both the East Riding and UK plc.
“Those investments need to happen now, and they need to happen at pace, while we have this momentum in the region. We really are in a very good position and we must make the most of it.”
Since being confirmed as a freeport tax site, Goole has seen several major investments announced.
On the north part of the Goole tax site, Metsä Tissue plans to build the UK’s largest tissue paper mill, with development in several phases over the next decade. Occupying a site of around 200 acres, the mill will have the capacity to produce 240,000 tonnes of tissue paper, built – a level of production unrivalled in the UK.
Alan Jeffery, Metsä Tissue’s Technical Director, joined the panel event and said: “What was clear to us from day one was the strength of the community and the collective pride, here in Goole.
Leading players involved in the remarkable regeneration of the town formed a panel at an “Invest in Goole” breakfast event.
“That is led by the people you have got working and living in the town and it is something which is fairly unique.
“We shortlisted four sites in the UK for our paper mill, but the welcome we received here in Goole and the surrounding region was unlike anywhere else. That played a crucial role in the decision to invest in Goole and join this business community.”
On the south side of the tax site, plans have been submitted by Henry Boot and landowner St John’s College Cambridge for a 300-acre industrial manufacturing and logistics park. If plans are approved, the development will open up more than 5.5 million square feet of high-quality sustainable space next to the M62.
Elsewhere in Goole, Siemens Mobility continues to invest in its state-of-the-art train manufacturing plant and surrounding rail village. The first train is on track to roll off the production line in early 2025, bound for London Underground’s Piccadilly Line.
Supporting the wave of investment in Goole are hundreds of high-quality new homes from multi-award-winning regional housebuilder Beal Homes.
The Greenways development is meeting a pent-up demand for quality new homes in Goole, raising aspirations and creating a vibrant community for people in the town.
Humber Freeport CEO Simon Green said the collaboration was at the heart of Goole’s exciting regeneration.
Simon Green, CEO at Humber Freeport, speaking at the Invest in Goole business breakfast event.
He said: “Sometimes regeneration is about attracting the new and the shiny, but it is also about retaining the skills and talent you have in the area, and focusing on the people who have been born and brought up here in Goole.
“Goole complements the other two freeport tax sites, thanks both to its geographical advantage and also the existing skills base and the cluster of advanced manufacturing and logistics businesses you have based here.
“Goole is becoming second to none in what it offers. Freeport status is helping to attract fresh investment and skills, and also to adapt the existing skills base to meet future needs.”
The Invest in Goole breakfast event invited key stakeholders and investors to discuss the significant opportunities on offer in the town.
The event panel comprised of Cllr Anne Handley, Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council; Finbarr Dowling, Project Director at Siemens Mobility; Simon Green, CEO at Humber Freeport; Alan Jeffery, Technical Director at Metsä Tissue; Tom Wheldon, Director at Henry Boot Developments; and Ross Clarkson, Sales and Marketing Director at Beal Homes.
