£18.4m Celtic Freeport funding approved, including £9.2m for two Port Talbot sites
Neath Port Talbot Council has welcomed approval of £4.2 million in Celtic Freeport seed capital funding towards its £8.4 million scheme to clear a large brownfield site and build six business units at Waterside Innovation Park, Harbourside, Port Talbot. The Freeport approved £18.4 million in total for four projects across Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire. The awards remain subject to agreement of grant conditions and completion of the necessary funding arrangements.
The four projects
Two of the four are in Port Talbot. Associated British Ports gets £5 million for a scheme at Talbot Wharf that will unlock 9.1 hectares for the floating offshore wind supply chain. The council's Waterside Innovation Park scheme is described as an initial phase of a longer-term vision. In Pembrokeshire, the Port of Milford Haven receives £7.2 million for the first phase of work at Criterion Quay, Pembroke Port, which will restore marine infrastructure, add berthing and create 1.7 hectares of laydown space. Ledwood's quayside upgrade in Pembroke Dock gets £2 million to improve marine access and support component fabrication and handling.
What the council said
Cllr Jeremy Hurley, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Economic Growth, called it "welcome news for Port Talbot". He said the Waterside scheme "will provide new business premises to help attract investment and provide space for businesses to grow", and that the council's priority was "to ensure these opportunities translate into lasting benefits for our residents and businesses".
The bigger picture
The money comes from the UK Government through the Freeport Programme in Wales. The Celtic Freeport is a partnership led by Associated British Ports, Neath Port Talbot Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Port of Milford Haven. It says it expects to attract £8.4 billion of investment and create 11,500 new jobs, a projection from the Freeport itself rather than an independent forecast.