Chancellor backs ‘£1bn’ investment plans at inland freeport

Airport managing director Steve Griffiths said the deal was "an exciting step forward for growth in and around the airport".

Prologis UK's regional head Paul Weston said the site would become "a high-impact gateway that drives economic growth, innovation and employment opportunities across the Midlands".

Tom Newman-Taylor, chief executive of East Midlands Freeport, said: "This is a positive first step in realising the full potential of the freeport's tax sites which, when fully developed, will be transformative for the East Midlands economy."