£1.5m boost announced to support skills and innovation

The funding, unveiled by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, aims to drive new opportunities across the Liverpool City Region Freeport, including St Helens. The investment will be split between two grant programmes, with GBP750,000 allocated to the LCR Freeport Innovation Challenge Fund and GBP750,000 to the LCR Freeport Skills Infrastructure Grant. Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "Our Freeport isn't just about lines on a map - it's about creating real opportunities for local people, attracting investment, and driving innovation in the sectors where we're already leading the way.

"We've got the potential to be the UK's gateway to global markets - but to make that happen, we need to back our businesses and our workforce with the right tools and support. "These funds will help us do exactly that - by giving local innovators the chance to scale up new ideas, and making sure our residents have the skills they need to take advantage of the high-quality jobs we're bringing to our area." The LCR Freeport Innovation Challenge Fund will support projects focused on freight and maritime decarbonisation, as well as the digitalisation of trade and logistics.

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The goal is to accelerate the development of technologies that improve the Freeport's economic performance and environmental impact.

The LCR Freeport Skills Infrastructure Grant will fund equipment and infrastructure for education and training providers in sectors targeted by the Freeport, including logistics, maritime, advanced manufacturing, and green energy. The Liverpool City Region Freeport, one of only eight in England, covers a 45km area and offers incentives in customs, business rates, planning, regeneration, innovation, trade, and investment. Councils retain 100 per cent of business rates growth from Freeport tax sites, which include St Helens.

In St Helens, planning approval has been granted for phase one of the Parkside sitein Newton-le-Willows, the largest of the Freeport's tax locations. The scheme represents an GBP80 million investment, creating 800,000 sq ft of commercial space and an estimated 1,330 jobs. The Parkside Link Road, funded in part by GBP9 million from the Combined Authority, has been completed.

This road will support construction of Parkside Phase One, scheduled to begin in the final quarter of 2025.

Since the Freeport's official designation in January 2023, a total of GBP194 million has been committed to investment across the region, including GBP72 million in 2024/25.