East Midlands Airport & Proposed Freeport

East Midlands Airport is recognised as a nationally important asset for freight and logistics. The airport is the UK’s most important for dedicated cargo flights. It handles 1,000 tonnes a day and facilitates approximately £40bn of trade to and from the UK and £11bn of non-EU imports and exports each year.

It has already witnessed significant growth with DHL Express and UPS investing, between them, over £200m in recent years.

The airport provides a stimulus for wider regional growth. To the north of the airfield, SEGRO is currently developing the East Midlands Gateway site which will see Amazon, Shop Direct, Nestlé and Kuehne Nagel take space for their logistics operations.

As the UK’s only inland Freeport, it will drive economic regeneration across the East Midlands. And underpinning this is a unique and world leading combination of partners focused on creating thousands of jobs, boosting skills and accelerating the region’s commitment to decarbonisation and Net Zero through low carbon energy investments.

the East Midlands Airport and Gateway Industrial Cluster (EMAGIC) in North West Leicestershire, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site in Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands Intermodal Park (EMIP) in South Derbyshire.

The sites are strategically located with strong existing road and rail freight infrastructure connecting them to all other parts of the country, including seaport-based freeports.

There is significant room for growth across the sites, accelerating regeneration, increasing skills and training opportunities and helping to level-up some of the UK’s most deprived areas. The site development process will be managed by the respective landowners and any future development proposals will be subject to planning approval and public consultation.

Why invest here?

Derbyshire

Located at the very heart of the UK and as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Derbyshire has a strong and diverse economy with global names including Toyota Manufacturing UK, Rolls-Royce, Nestlé, Tarmac, Amazon and Denby Pottery all based here and continuing to invest in their operations and SME supply chains.

Derbyshire’s central location ensures excellent connectivity across the UK’s motorway and rail network, with five international and cargo airports all within easy reach. The East Midlands Freeport will further add to the county’s reputation as a key manufacturing, logistics and distribution hub.

Businesses in Derbyshire have unrivalled access to a pool of high-quality workers, with over 9 million people living within 20 minutes of the county, drawing on the major cities of Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Derby.

Additionally, Derbyshire businesses can offer their workforce an outstanding quality of life. Home to the Peak District (the UK’s first National Park), bustling market towns, world-famous stately homes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Derbyshire is an attractive place in which to live, work and play. Derbyshire offers a range of investment opportunities from major industrial sites to urban regeneration schemes which will help drive its future economic growth.

Leicestershire

Welcome to Leicester & Leicestershire – the largest economy in the East Midlands.

We benefit from outstanding assets including a vibrant, university city with a strong industrial and cultural heritage; two unique and inspiring Enterprise Zones; a UK Freeport at East Midlands Airport; three world class universities delivering cutting edge innovation, research, and design; a central location with strategic rail and motorway links, one of Europe’s largest distribution parks and the UK’s largest pure cargo airport; and two Manufacturing Zones. We’re home to Caterpillar, Next, Santander, Walkers Snack Foods (PepsiCo), IBM Client Innovation Centre UK and Amazon.
Key strategic developments include Leicester Waterside and Station Regeneration, Space Park Leicester, offering high-tech facilities and capabilities building on the University of Leicester’s space excellence; Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park, a dynamic innovation community with serviced development land opportunities; and Lutterworth East a trailblazing, sustainable housing and employment development.

Leicester is considered one of the best cities to do business in. Unrivalled transport links, a skilled and talented workforce of over 2.8 million within a 1-hour drive-time and one of Britain’s most attractive and cost-effective places to develop, own or lease property – presenting huge investment opportunities.

Nottinghamshire

Nottingham is a city with a rich past and a bright future. A city of leaders and legacy, known for its resilience, its compassion and its community spirit – just like its hero, Robin Hood. A city where you’ll find the legend of its outlaw hero and a thousand years of history at Nottingham Castle a stone’s throw from state-of-the-art developments emerging in Southside, Waterside and the Island Quarter. A place that’s on a mission to become the UK’s first carbon-neutral city by 2028, with unprecedented levels of investment in an award-winning, clean and green public transport system, electric vehicles and sustainable energy sources. A vibrant clash of creativity and culture, history and heritage, and world-class sports. A city where you’ll find independent shops, world cuisine and a thriving nightlife buzzing within the curious alleyways, boutique arcades and beautiful architecture. And two world-class universities nurturing innovation and independent minds, while a growing business scene secures their future. A place that’s always moving forward while celebrating its past. The biggest small city in the UK, nestled in the heart of the Midlands.

Insight for investors

• Type of Investment Sought: End User Occupiers
• Target Investor(s): End users to be determined as part of Development Consent Order.
• Site Size: 5.2m ft2 of manufacturing and distribution space
• Timescale: Initial local consultation undertaken; currently part of process for Freeport business case with HMG.
• Delivery Timescale: 5+
• Planning Status: As a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) will be made to the Planning Inspectorate, with the final decision being made by the Secretary of State for Transport.