Calls for Rosyth to be named one of the UK’s freeports have been stepped up amid suggestions the area is ripe for investment and development.
Downing Street is still said to be considering the creation of 10 freeports – a port or airport granted special customs arrangements whereby it can bring in tariff-free raw materials, make them into goods and export them again.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said one of the freeports was likely to be in Scotland, and SNP MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, Douglas Chapman, believes Rosyth should be the frontrunner.
“There is a lot of unused land and untapped potential in Rosyth and a freeport would be a great way to harness potential and create jobs in the area.
“Creating a freeport won’t be a silver bullet that will totally revitalise the local economy but it will certainly help it along the way.
“Our recovery from the coronavirus means we cannot leave any stone unturned and should take up any opportunities that arise to develop our local economies.
“The vast amounts of land, the access to the port, and the ease of shipping back into Europe makes Rosyth a prime location for a freeport and I hope the UK Government takes it into serious consideration.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is understood to be planning open bidding for towns, cities and regions to become freeports in his autumn Budget, with at least 21 sites have already having expressed an interest.
The move also comes after Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove announced a £705 million package for the UK’s ports ahead of Brexit to ensure traders and the border industry are able to “manage the changes and seize the opportunities” when the transition period ends in December.
Under the Downing Street plans, goods would not have to pay tariffs, import VAT or excise duty until they leave the freeport and enter the UK’s domestic market, with simplified customs procedures and declarations.
To boost businesses, they could be handed rates discounts, stamp duty reductions, research and development credits.
A spokesperson for the UK Government said the policy is a “key part of delivering our ambition to level up the economy across the country”.
