Preseli Pembrokeshire Senedd Member Paul Davies has welcomed the news that a Celtic Freeport will be established along the south Wales coast. A Freeport is a special economic zone, centred on a sea port (or an airport or rail hub) that has different tax and customs rules which act as incentives for investment and trade.
The Celtic Freeport bid was lodged on behalf of a public-private consortium whose partners include Associated British Ports (ABP), Neath Port Talbot Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Port of Milford Haven. It was one of three bids in Wales that were submitted to the UK and Welsh Governments and was successful alongside the Anglesey Freeport bid.
Mr Davies, who is the Welsh Conservative spokesperson on ports policy and the Senedd Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, which includes the Port of Milford Haven said, “I’m delighted to hear that the Celtic Freeport bid has been accepted. The Freeport will unlock huge opportunities for the local area by accelerating innovation and encouraging significant investment. It will support thousands of new jobs, generate billions of pounds of investment, and play a key role in accelerating the roll-out of floating offshore wind.”
He added, “It will also put Pembrokeshire on the map as an area as a global leader in the field of green energy and be transformational for communities in southwest Wales. I look forward to hearing more about the Freeport’s development as it takes place and I’m excited to see it reach its potential and make a real difference in our area.”
