Humber Freeport welcomes green light for major Goole tax site developments

Finnish manufacturer Metsä Tissue and commercial property developer Wykeland Group has secured full planning permission to create the UK’s largest tissue paper mill in Goole, East Yorkshire, within Humber Freeport’s Goole tax site. Credit: Metsä Tissue

EAST Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Planning Committee has granted full planning permission to Finnish manufacturer Metsä Tissue and commercial property developer Wykeland Group to create the UK’s largest tissue paper mill, together with office space and associated infrastructure.

The facility, which will extend to around three million sq ft of space once complete, will be built in phases, supporting up to 400 direct jobs and creating a breadth of supply chain opportunities. It aims to increase the UK’s self-sufficiency in the manufacture of essential tissue products by more than 30 per cent.

At the same Planning Committee meeting, Henry Boot Developments (HBD) and landowner St John’s College Cambridge received outline planning consent for an industrial and manufacturing park.

That development sits on the south side of the Goole tax site, separated from the Metsä plot by the M62 motorway, and will create more than five million sq ft of industrial space. The site could accommodate buildings from 40,000 sq ft to one million sq ft.

Both planning approvals are subject to conditions and the signing of legal agreements.

Professor Neal Juster, Interim Chair of Humber Freeport, said: “This is another very significant step forward for Humber Freeport, and for the two large-scale developments within our Goole tax site. It adds to the powerful momentum behind the Freeport.

“For Goole, it is further recognition of the strength of the investment proposition in the town. Its strategic location, connectivity and infrastructure make it an ideal location to invest, creating high-quality direct employment and supply chain opportunities.

“We’re delighted to see Metsä Tissue and Wykeland Group secure planning permission for the tissue paper mill. It is an important investment not just for Goole, but for the wider region, boosting the Humber’s credentials as a hotbed for advanced, sustainable manufacturing.

“A further economic uplift will be created by HBD and St John’s College Cambridge’s industrial and manufacturing park. Outline permission for this industrial cluster will enable the developers to market specific opportunities and take forward the strong pipeline of enquiries for the site.”

Goole is one of three Humber Freeport tax sites, alongside Hull East and Able Humber Port, near Immingham.

The Goole site offers exceptional transport links and connectivity via road, rail and sea, and sits adjacent to existing developments from leading businesses including Siemens Mobility, Tesco and Guardian Glass.

Investing in a freeport tax site provides businesses with a range of incentives, ranging from enhanced capital allowances and employer National Insurance contributions to stamp duty land tax relief.

The two newly-approved developments in Goole underline the strategic importance of Humber Freeport in attracting inward investment to the region, creating jobs, driving innovation and sustainable growth.