A new EU project to be targeted at investment in port towns could provide significant investment in Newhaven and the local MP, Norman Baker, has today urged Lewes District Council grab this opportunity with both hands.
"Port Town" is an EU project which aims to "enhance port towns' social and economic connectivity", "enhance port towns' physical connectivity" and "develop the maritime identity of port towns". The total budget for the project is €12million and Lewes District Council would have to put together a bid in order to attempt to gain a share of this fund, with it to be invested directly into the port.
Commenting Norman said: "This EU project is a great opportunity to secure further investment in the port and I want to see Lewes District Council grasp it with both hands, as they have done in the past. I am urging the acting Chief Executive, John Magness, to take forward a bid and I hope that the new Chief Executive, Jenny Rowlands, will follow this through when she starts in September."
This opportunity follows an announcement in the Commons yesterday by the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne MP, which outlined the coalition government's commitment to renewable energy and, in particular, offshore wind farms. This announcement could also create significant investment for the port as earlier this year an area of the Channel near the port was named as a zoned area for a wind farm, following lobbying from Norman Baker.
Norman added: "All in all, I am confident about the future viability of the port and the town of Newhaven. There are new funding opportunities presenting themselves and the coalition's ongoing commitment to offshore wind will, in my view, inevitably benefit Newhaven. I believe the port is in a great position to be used at least for the assembly of the wind turbines, if not for their construction, and we could be talking about the creation of in excess of 100 jobs. This would be a vital income stream to underpin the economics of the port and also help safeguard the ferry service."
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
