Solent Freeport chair Brian Johnson has been reappointed for a further three years.

His second term as head of the Solent Freeport Consortium Ltd (SFCL) board began in September.

SFCL’s June board meeting confirmed the fixed-term reappointment and indicated that it would undertake succession planning for 2027 when the second term ends.

Brian is also the UK Business Development Director at BAE Systems Naval Ships based at Portsmouth Naval Base, as well as being chair of the Society of Maritime Industries, Maritime UK Council.

He has a lengthy private sector background, with more than 20 years’ experience in the marine and maritime sector at organisations such as Thales, Marconi and BAE Systems.

Solent Freeport is one of twelve UK special areas that have been created by government to boost investment into parts of the country that have historically missed out, benefitting from a generous package of incentives.

It aims to accelerate the creation of high-quality employment space, with investment specifically targeted at state-of-the-art growth sectors and ground-breaking approaches to decarbonisation and green innovation.

Solent Freeport is building on the proud industrial heritage of the region – the UK’s global gateway – as well as utilising excellent port infrastructure and transportation links by sea, air, road and rail.

SCFL, a company limited by guarantee, was incorporated in March 2021 and the board is the ultimate decision-making body within the structure and has overall accountability for the delivery of all aspects of Solent Freeport.

This includes planning, innovation, trade and investment promotion, tax site delivery and operation, customs site delivery and operation, the use of retained business rates, skills and regeneration, alignment with wider initiatives, stakeholder engagement, security and compliance, net zero, risk management, and M&E and reporting.

Brian said: “I am gratified to have been reappointed for a second, and final, time and I am looking forward to continuing in my role of leading such a hard-working team dedicated to bringing prosperity to the Solent region.

“I must also pay tribute to Solent Freeport’s public and private sector partners, whose sector experience, business acumen and strong backing underpins everything we do  moving forward.

“I aim to provide strategic leadership, challenge and support to the board and contribute to the development of one of the most effective freeports in the country; establishing and developing Solent Freeport’s credibility and confidence within the wider market.”

Brian also represents SFCL on a broader basis, nationally and internationally, encouraging networking, joint working and inward investment, including at the highest levels of Government, including engagement with senior civil servants and ministers of state.

Freeports benefit from tax reliefs, simplified customs procedures, streamlined planning processes to promote regeneration and innovation, and seed funding for skills training.  They operate with both ‘tax’ and ‘customs’ sites.

In the Solent’s case, land earmarked for tax sites includes the Navigator Quarter near Southampton Airport, a development site in Southampton’s Western Docks, the Dunsbury Park business campus just north of Portsmouth, and locations along Southampton Water and the Fawley Waterside.

The main customs sites are Solent Gateway on Southampton Water and Portsmouth International Port.

A key advantage of a Freeport is that the government allows additional business rates generated  to be retained in the region and reinvested in economic development based on local decision making.

There are eight Freeports in England: Solent Freeport; East Midlands Freeport; Freeport East; Humber Freeport; Liverpool City Region Freeport; Plymouth and South Devon Freeport; Teesside Freeport and Thames Freeport, plus two in Wales and two in Scotland.