Edinburgh's Green Freeport: Fears over impact of potential sale of Edinburgh airport and Grangemouth closure

Edinburgh’s Green Freeport: Fears over impact of potential sale of Edinburgh airport and Grangemouth closure

Concerns have been raised over how the ambitious plans for a Green Freeport in the Firth of Forth could be affected by the potential sale of Edinburgh Airport and the closure of Scotland’s only oil refinery at Grangemouth.

Edinburgh West Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine wants a meeting with the Green Freeport board to discuss how the uncertainty over ownership of the airport and the major loss of jobs at Grangemouth could impact the future plans. She said she feared confidence in the Freeport might be reduced, threatening its development.

The go-ahead for the Forth Green Freeport, covering the Port of Leith, Grangemouth, Rosyth and Edinburgh Airport, was announced in January. The venture, which involves tax breaks and other incentives for companies who set up within the defined zone, is backed by both the UK and Scottish governments.

Its promoters claimed it could generate up to 50,000 new green jobs, act as a catalyst for new green technologies and renewable energy manufacturing and unlock £6 billion of private and public investment.

But following the news that the Grangemouth refinery is to close and speculation that Edinburgh Airport is about to be put up for sale, Ms Jardine has written to the Green Freeport board asking for a meeting about the latest developments,

She said: “Rumours about the sale of Edinburgh Airport will do nothing to reassure businesses and their employees already concerned about the closure of Grangemouth oil refinery.

“The airport is Edinburgh West’s biggest employer and a huge part of Edinburgh’s booming tourism sector. Its location at the heart of the Forth Green Freeport means we have huge potential to develop more sustainable ways of travel, including research into sustainable air fuels.

“These plans were already under threat with the closure of Grangemouth, and our local businesses need clarity from the government about how the Freeport would be impacted by any sale. I hope to meet the Freeport board directly to share my concerns and ensure that businesses and workers across Edinburgh West do not lose out.”

She said she was also seeking to clarify the situation over the airport. She said: “Edinburgh Airport vital to not just Edinburgh’s economy but the Scottish economy. I just want to speak to the airport to find out from them what’s happening and discuss the Freeport.”

Ms Jardine said she feared the Grangemouth closure could be “an unnecessary negative factor”. She said: “If there are a lot of jobs lost, which there will be, it creates an employment situation you wouldn’t want in a Green Freeport. The point of the freeport is to boost the economy, boost employment and support jobs. If you lose the refinery you start to lose jobs, there are all the jobs down the chain which get impacted and at the moment there is a healthy housing market in that area, but what happens to house prices?”

She has also raised the issue in the House of Commons, asking Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove how the UK Government will ensure the closure of the refinery at Grangemouth does not negatively impact the Forth Green Freeport. Mr Gove said the UK Government was working with the Scottish and local government to keep “sustainable growth” at the heart of plans for Edinburgh and the Lothians.

A spokesperson from Forth Green Freeport welcomed Ms Jardine’s letter and said: “We will be very happy to set up a meeting to discuss the Forth Green Freeport’s vision and the significant opportunities across the whole of the freeport area.

“The wider Grangemouth economic area will play a major role in the just transition to net zero and that is why it features so strongly in the Forth Green Freeport proposition. Edinburgh airport is a committed partner of the Forth Green Freeport. It would be inappropriate for us to comment on speculation about the airport.”