Green Freeports Programme: island communities impact assessment

Step four – assessment

Does your assessment identify any unique impacts on island communities? (Demographic, Economic, Gaelic, Social)

As noted, the UK Freeports policy and programme was set and is led by the UK Government. The Scottish Government works jointly with the UK Government, within the UK Government Freeports framework with some adaptations, on delivery of the Green Freeports policy and programme in Scotland.

The Green Freeports Programme key policy objectives: promote regeneration and high quality job creation; promote decarbonisation and a just transition to net zero; establish global hubs for trade and investment; and foster an innovative environment, don’t in themselves have a specific focus or impact on island communities. The two Green Freeport locations were jointly selected by Scottish and UK Ministers following a competitive bidding process which was open to bids from coalitions from across Scotland, including island communities.

The Bidding Prospectus notes that the Green Freeports model is geographically flexible, and directs bidders to use this flexibility to best apply the model to their specific space and geography. It allows for multiple sites to be designated within the overall Green Freeport to allow bidders to best reflect existing economic geographies; to maximise collaboration between ports, businesses, wider stakeholders and relevant economic assets by allowing them to benefit and contribute to the Green Freeport.

The only potentially limiting geographical feature of the model is that a Green Freeport must include at least one port, either air, sea or rail. However this is not considered to have a significantly different impact on island communities, compared to other communities.

Does your assessment identify any potential barriers or wider impacts? Are there mitigations already in place for these impacts raised?

Further, no unique impacts on island communities as relates to the delivery of Green Freeports have been identified. Neither have any potential barriers or wider impacts been identified, and therefore no mitigations are required.