Continued Pan Humber Working
The creation of the Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and a new Greater Lincolnshire County Combined Authority will herald a new era in local governance for the Humber area, and brings to an end years of uncertainty. The creation of the Humber Freeport in 2023 provides further economic incentives for businesses to invest in the Humber with a focus on attracting the advanced energy sector and driving the Humber to a Net Zero outcome. The pathway for decarbonisation across industry is mapped out in the Humber Industrialisation Cluster Plan.
The Humber Estuary is an important shared economic and natural asset for Hull and East Yorkshire, the Northern Powerhouse and the wider UK. It is home to one of the UK’s largest industrial clusters, including -
- energy-intensive chemicals, process and manufacturing businesses
- the UK’s largest ports complex by tonnage
- internationally significant wetlands and habitats
Over recent years, the Humber Energy Estuary has been integral to the expansion of the offshore wind sector and is now leading the way on plans for industrial decarbonisation. Meanwhile, the ongoing development of the Humber 2100+ strategy is essential for protecting communities and industries around the estuary from rising sea levels and the second highest flood risk after the Thames.
Leveraging this unique asset will be important for Hull and East Yorkshire’s future economic prosperity, but the Humber Estuary is also a shared resource that must be managed responsibly by the many different stakeholders involved. Many opportunities require collaboration across the Estuary to be realised – whether it’s the construction of the major infrastructure needed to support industrial decarbonisation that needs scale to be viable, or the further growth of the offshore wind sector, with complementary offers in Hull and Grimsby. Similarly, because what happens on one side of the Estuary affects the other, management of flood risk and investment in natural capital needs to be co-ordinated.
Recognising this, local authority and business leaders are working together to ensure that the progress the Humber has made over the last decade continues and can be strengthened as Hull and East Yorkshire and Greater Lincolnshire move towards new devolved arrangements. A new Mayoral Joint Committee will be formed, comprising the two Mayors representing the Humber, Council Leaders and local business representation. This new arrangement will lead a strong and enduring approach to pan-Humber working.