Weston’s MP John Penrose is supporting proposals for a Great Western FreePort, based around Bristol docks, to drive growth and high-skilled job opportunities across Weston and nearby villages as well as the West Country as a whole.
John says: “The Great Western Freeport could be a key building block in levelling up Britain’s economy outside London and the southeast, and Weston is well set to make it work. We can build on Bristol docks’ success with our dynamic local firms and our increasingly high-skill workforce that’s fuelled by Weston College’s South West Skills Campus, the Engineering Training Centre, Future Technology Centre, Food Works SW and business hubs like The Hive and The Stable.
In response to opposition to the freeport voiced by Liberal Democrat former general election candidate, Councillor Patrick Keating, John added: “These bids are hugely competitive. Lots of other places are competing against us, so we all need to unite behind it. Criticism and carping won’t help our chances. I hope that the LibDems in North Somerset Council’s leadership, who I’m pleased to say are supporting the bid, will distance themselves from these unhelpful comments and move swiftly to sort out this split in their party ranks.”