A ‘green freeport’ area in the Glasgow City Region where normal tax and custom rules don’t apply has moved a step closer to reality.
The special tax haven zones aim to boost the economy and plans are underway to prepare a potential bid to establish a freeport in the region.
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Details of where it would potentially be located have not been released yet but a meeting heard one possibility is Inverclyde.
A majority of councillors approved plans for Glasgow City Council officers to start work with other local authorities in the region to put forward a bid at the meeting yesterday.
Green politicians called for any attempts to secure a freeport to be scrapped during the city administration committee.
Councillor Jon Molyneux who moved an amendment, which was rejected, questioned whether freeports actually delivered jobs as promised.
His amendment said “that the concept of ‘freeports’ fundamentally contradicts the council’s agreed aims regarding community wealth building and a net zero target of 2030.”
Conservative councillor Thomas Kerr expressed his support for a freeport.
The Glasgow City Region covers Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire.
There are to be two freeports situated in Scotland, which will receive up to £52 million UK Government funding - and they are expected to be up and running by spring next year.
The special economic zones would be based around air, rail or sea ports.
A number of freeports have been announced in England and Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the projects will assist with "levelling up" - a strategy to close the gap between rich and poor areas.
