ABP director Simon Bird has joined the board of Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership as freeport status and further funding is celebrated across the county.
A former Humber LEP member, the pan-estuary economic entity is being wound down following the ‘death of devolution’ for the ill-fated Humberside.
It was triggered by the South Bank authorities opting to look to Lincoln over Hull when the government dictated local councils had to choose one - having straddled both for a decade.
A new LEP is now emerging on the North Bank, with recruitment of a new board underway, with ABP understood to be fielding another senior candidate for a role there.
Mr Bird lives on the South Bank with Immingham the largest port in the complex he has headed up for six years. Prior to the Humber he was at Bristol Port Company, where he was chief executive for 15 years.
Pat Doody, chair of Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said it “will very much enhance our expertise and deepen our connections into ports and logistics”.
He said: “It’s a really exciting time to join the LEP board and play a strong role in delivering the economic opportunities for Greater Lincolnshire in areas such as freeports, our global food and seafood sectors, the rural health agenda, decarbonisation and offshore wind.”
Last Wednesday saw Chancellor Rishi Sunak give the go-ahead for the Humber and seven other special economic zones in England. It takes in all four Humber ports, the emerging Able Marine Energy Park and the British Steel site.
Mr Doody has also welcomed the funding pot for Able UK at North Killingholme, understood to be around £75 million.
He said: “This is very positive news for Greater Lincolnshire and an important element in the ‘levelling-up’ agenda. The funding announced by BEIS will provide financial support towards the development of a major portside hub on the Able Marine Energy Park and strengthen the UK’s manufacturing capacity in the offshore wind sector.
"Locally the funding will enable up to 3,000 jobs and facilitate significant international inward investment in the area. The Greater Lincolnshire LEP is committed to working with Able, and North Lincolnshire Council to facilitate investment from offshore wind companies, which will secure more jobs for local people, and significant opportunities for local businesses large and small to be further involved in the supply chain for the expanding sector.”
Mr Bird, who follows former Humber colleague Darren Cunningham, Phillips 66’s lead executive in the UK and general manager of Humber Refinery onto the board, is also joined by Major-General (Retired) Julian Free CBE, who will also become chair of the LEP’s Defence board and Prof Andrew Hunter from the University of Lincoln.
