Freeport.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Well the good news is that an application for The River Blyth estuary to become a Freeport has been submitted.    

This once again opens up a whole new range of opportunities for Bedlington, as well as other places of course, but with so many possibilities on our side of the River this could well be another game changer for us.   

 

Can wait until we see Puerto Del Bedlington.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Will this mean that a Freeport  in the UK will be exempt taxes to all countries apart from the EU?

 

[Symptoms]

Eggs - I wondered about the 'benefits' of becoming SingaporeSouthofJockoland.  See below:

https://www.britishports.org.uk/FreeportsHub

https://twitter.com/britishports/status/1330866362340741120

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

2 hours ago, Symptoms said:

Eggs - I wondered about the 'benefits' of becoming SingaporeSouthofJockoland.  See below:

https://www.britishports.org.uk/FreeportsHub

https://twitter.com/britishports/status/1330866362340741120

Thanks @Symptoms - think I'll wait until the cluuub opens and discuss it with the locals🙃

[Symptoms]

So, the Smoggies got the Freeport ... Blyth, Tyne and Tees can continue to scratch a living.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

2 hours ago, Symptoms said:

So, the Smoggies got the Freeport ... Blyth, Tyne and Tees can continue to scratch a living.

It might still end up at Blyth. I don't think they know there ar** from their elbow.

This is the plan BritishVolt have online showing where the new battery/gigaplant is to be built - they say on the old Blyth (Cambois) Power Station site.

From what I can make out the plan they have drawn is where Cambois pit and the pit rows used to be. 

[_pauls]

20 hours ago, Symptoms said:

So, the Smoggies got the Freeport ... Blyth, Tyne and Tees can continue to scratch a living.

I assume you mean Blyth, Tyne and Wear can continue to scratch a living.

To be fair (and I would say that being what most would class as a smoggy) I think Teesside and in particular Redcar and the old steelworks area are every bit as in need of the economic boost as the Blyth/Tyne/Wear area. I would have liked to see both of them get the status and see some of the more affluent southern parts miss out.

Still... as I understand it these are the 8 initial freeports so its not a closing of the book on the chances for our area.

Edited March 4, 2021 by _pauls
elaboration

[Symptoms]

_pauls - yes, I meant Wear.  

I suspect the Tees area was selected due to its wider industrial hinterland and closer connections to those manufacturing towns in Yorkshire.  Perhaps, somebody might like to count the number of Tory MPs in those winning areas - maybe that was a consideration.

When the scheme was first announced I compared the Blyth, Tyne, Wear, and Tees areas on Google Maps and did think that Blyth had lots going for it in terms of vacant sites and existing infrastructure, including a functioning railhead in the port itself.  I doubted that Blyth would get the nod on its own due to a comparatively sparse industrial hinterland.

Perhaps, a better choice would have been the Wear (central to the area) then draw the 'inclusion zone' which could have included the whole area ... North to Blyth and South to Tees.

 

[_pauls]

I think that there are some maximum dimensions that would preclude covering from the Tees north up to Blyth - I have the figure 27 miles in my head but I can't find the source to back that up so I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure its not far off.

As I say I think both areas have strong cases and just hope that there is a possibility of more free ports in the future that could benefit us.

[_pauls]

2 minutes ago, _pauls said:

I think that there are some maximum dimensions that would preclude covering from the Tees north up to Blyth - I have the figure 27 miles in my head but I can't find the source to back that up so I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure its not far off.

As I say I think both areas have strong cases and just hope that there is a possibility of more free ports in the future that could benefit us.

Ah... 45km which comes to 27.962 miles

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/935493/Freeports_Bidding_Prospectus_web_final.pdf

[Symptoms]

_pauls - Wear to Blyth, and Wear to Tees both less than your 45km according to my rough and dirty measurements on Google Maps.  If the allowed area is a radius of 45km my suggestion above would work.  Center the freeport in mackemland, then draw a big circle of 45km radius ... it would take in an area including Blyth in the North and Smoggieland in the South.  If, however, the 45km is zone's diameter then I'm stuffed.

The Guardian newspaper published an article this morning about Tory largesse that I questioned above;  the piece contains a good graph (official Gov data).  I know it's not about freeports but it shines a light on their methods.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/03/sunaks-1bn-of-town-deals-will-nearly-all-go-to-tory-constituencies

 

[_pauls]

3 hours ago, Symptoms said:

...If the allowed area is a radius of 45km my suggestion above would work....

Sadly its not a radius its a diameter - its not far off mind, I am surprised its only about 60km from Blyth to Redcar as the crow flies.

As for the Tory distribution of wealth that neither surprises or bothers me. It is politics, this kind of thing has been done for centuries and its been done by both sides of the political divide. I can't say I would have complained if our seat had gone from red to blue and we were being showered with cash as a reward.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Posted on the Cambois Facebook group (30 mins ago) :- 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Upadte article posted on the Cambois Facebook group by Alex Wallace :-

[lilbill15]

16 minutes ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

Upadte article posted on the Cambois Facebook group by Alex Wallace :-

‘gotten’…..🤐x

 

On 06/06/2021 at 12:04, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

Posted on the Cambois Facebook group (30 mins ago) :- 

🤐🤐🤐x

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

- 

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

[lilbill15]

🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼😁🌈xx

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

10 minutes ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

- 

 

Couldn't get the link to work so had to delete and and the '🙂' .

2nd attempt = https://www.facebook.com/groups/201036446688484/permalink/3982248815233876/

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Cycle lanes from Bedlington Station to Gigaplant :- 

[Symptoms]

Never mind a 'shuttle bus' link to the factory, what about a 'shuttle train' link?  The track exists adjacent to their site so it would make sense for the factory planners to incorporate a rail line spur into their site for the dual purpose of transporting goods and materials AND lifting workers on a shuttle train.  All good 'green' reasons for the factory owners to adopt this plan ... good PR.

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Symptoms

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

23 minutes ago, Symptoms said:

Never mind a 'shuttle bus' link to the factory, what about a 'shuttle train' link?  The track exists adjacent to their site so it would make sense for the factory planners to incorporate a rail line spur into their site for the dual purpose of transporting goods and materials AND lifting workers on a shuttle train.  All good 'green' reasons for the factory owners to adopt this plan ... good PR.

 

Six new stations confirmed but never seen any info on where the stations will be but it sounds like it will be six stations on the main line between Newcastle & Ashington.☺️

[Canny lass]

Just wondering how it will be with parking spaces for people arriving at the station by car? Or am I out of date, are there already good parking facilities in the area?

[lilbill15]

That’s a VERY good question @Canny lass I’m very interested in the reply…. 🌈x

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

1 hour ago, Canny lass said:

Just wondering how it will be with parking spaces for people arriving at the station by car? Or am I out of date, are there already good parking facilities in the area?

An estimate, via Google Street View, 100 public car parking spaces over 3 sites.