Humber Enterprise Zone approved

FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENTS are expected today confirming that the bid for a Humber Enterprise Zone, aimed at attracting new renewable energy developments to the Humber, has been accepted by the Government.

The 375 hectare Humber Renewable Energy Super Cluster covers both banks of the River Humber and includes the site of a Wind Turbine Manufacturing Plant proposed to be built by Siemens at Alexandra Dock as part of a Green Port Hull initiative, and a 2,000-acre energy park construction by ABLE UK Ltd near Killingholme.

As part of the Humber Enterprise Partnership, a separate North Bank group will bring together the East Riding, Hull and Scarborough to focus especially on tourism and the rural economy.

It is believed that up to 10,000 new jobs could be created with the further development of land as part of the Enterprise Zone proposals.

Enterprise Zone status will help the local economy and employment through £7.9m worth of business tax breaks, fewer planning restrictions and other incentives.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of the East Riding Council, said: “I am delighted that the Government has given the green light to the new Enterprise Zone, which will help us promote the local economy. It will be particularly useful in developing the Humber ports and the emerging renewable energy sector centred on Siemens’s proposed new wind turbine manufacturing plant in Hull.”

As reported in July this year the land under consideration for the Humber Enterprise Zone also includes “a largely undeveloped 49-hectare site at Paull east of Saltend”.

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Humber bid for Enterprise Zone

THE NEW HUMBER ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP set up last month is competing with twenty eight other similar bodies from around the country each bidding for their area to be included as one of the final ten Enterprise Zone locations.

Eleven Enterprise Zones have already been established and benefit from simplified planning rules, super-fast broadband and tax breaks for businesses to promote growth. When established the new Enterprise Zones, according to a press release issued by the Department of Communities and Local Government, can help make the country the best place in Europe to start and grow a business. But the process will be very competitive and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has said that "only the best will get the go ahead".

The Humber Enterprise Partnership bid to secure Enterprise Zone status will undoubtedly include the proposal by Siemens to open an £80 million wind turbine manufacturing plant on Alexandra Dock. But on a local level there may be some concerns that the Hull part of the Enterprise Zone sites involves developing land immediately North of the village of Paull.

The successful bids will be announced later this year.

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East Yorkshire Coast 'Hornsea Zone' Wind Farms Consultation

SMart Wind Ltd is a consortium established to deliver the Government's plans for wind generation off the East Yorkshire coast in what is being called the "Hornsea" Zone. Hornsea is one of nine zones to be developed in the seas around Great Britain which between them will aim to provide at least 25% of the UK’s electricity generating capacity.

The plan is to create wind farms in the Hornsea Zone that can produce 4-gigawatts of power by 2020. This could, according to SMart Wind, provide enough electricity to meet approximately 4% of all electricity demand in the UK and power approximately 3 million homes.

The first part of the project, what SMart Wind refers to as "Project One", is to consider the essential infrastructure including onshore cable routes required for the project. However, before this work goes ahead SMart Wind need to carry out a detailed consultation with those local communities that may be affected by the proposals.

The Project One consultation starts this month. A 'Statement of Community Consultation' has been produced and communities have been invited to attend consultation events on both sides of the River Humber.

This includes events in Aldbrough on the 24th March, Patrington on 30th March, Burton Pidsea 31st March, Keyingham 5th April, Withernsea 6th April and Hedon on the 15th April. Click the image below for full details or visit Community Consultation Events for more information.

SMart Wind Limited is a project-development consortium of Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, each partner company holds a 50% stake.  The first project is expected to be ready for construction by 2014 subject to consultation and other approvals.

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Wind turbine manufacturing plant will bring local benefits

HULL HAS BEEN CHOSEN by Siemens as the location for a new wind turbine manufacturing plant, which could bring local benefits to Holderness.

Siemens and Associated British Ports (ABP) have announced that they have signed up to the idea of the proposed Green Port Hull development at Alexandra Dock, Hull and will work to develop plans for a new the construction of a new offshore and wind turbine manufacturing plant.

Green Port Hull, a partnership formed by ABP, Hull City Council, East Riding Council and the University of Hull, was set up in December 2010 to attract turbine manufacturers to locate in the city. It is believed that up to 10,000 new jobs could be created with the further development of land owned by ABP if the vision of Green Port Hull is realised.

Local MP Graham Stuart has welcomed the announcement: 

“This is fantastic news and shows just how well placed Hull and the East Riding is to become the heart of the green energy revolution in this country. I am sure that when Siemens does come to the docks it will be the start of a rapid expansion of businesses in the area which could well see important Associated British Ports land in the Beverley and Holderness constituency developed with many new jobs being created.”

The news of new jobs and investment will be generally welcomed in the HU12 area, although people will want to see more details of what the proposals will mean in terms of increased local traffic and inconvenience. Also, following the scrapping last year of plans by DONG Energy to build a new bio-mass power station at Hull docks, local people will want to see more firm plans in place before making their voices heard.

Claims  of thousands of new jobs being created will also be taken with a large pinch of salt. It was clear from the discussion with DONG Energy that claims of a 'jobs bonanza' were a media invention - while some local jobs would have been created, the actual effect would have be an import of people into Hull and Holderness from other areas of the country and from Scandavian countries were the essential job skills needed already existed.

However, the final words of encouragement for this initiative come again from Graham Stuart:

“This is both an ambitious plan and one which could really put the area on the map as a centre of excellence for renewable energy.”

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