WASHINGTON: Peel Ports has endorsed a call by leading think tank, IPPR North, for closer co-operation between ports, supply chain operators and logistics companies based in the north of England to nurture vital economic sectors and take advantage of global opportunities, following the publication of the organisation’s wide-ranging research report ‘Gateways to the Northern Powerhouse – a Northern Port Strategy’.
Peel Ports believes that there is unexploited potential in providing a ‘pan-northern’ offering by freight and shipping companies to identify more cost-effective and sustainable movement of goods to key industry sectors in the North. IPPR North has made a recommendation in the report that the major northern ports bring together their freight and logistics industry partners, along with supply chain customers, to form a Northern Ports Freight and Logistics Association (NPFLA) to drive progress towards addressing the trends and challenges facing the sector.
The think tank has called for the new association to work together with local businesses, local authorities and local enterprise partnership (LEP) partners to develop local port growth strategies. The strategies will be focusing on opportunities in established, developing and emerging industry clusters, energy and logistics, and a requirement for each major port, working in conjunction with its local planning authorities, to develop an adopted port master plan.
Mark Whitworth, CEO of Peel Ports, said: “The northern ports sit at the heart of some of the most dynamic national growth clusters. Recent investment in a number of northern ports, including our own £300 million [US$450 million] development to create Liverpool2 – the UK’s largest transatlantic container port and Europe’s first semi-automated container terminal – opens up huge potential for the region to be a true global gateway – a key consideration at a time when future trading arrangements with the EU are unclear. “However, even if there is greater collaboration within the industry, competitiveness is still hindered by a lack of investment in east–west freight and logistics capacity.
