Logistics group set to get Sheffield City Region moving
A NEW logistics group has been set up to help put Sheffield’s logistics sector on the world map.
The Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has launched a Logistics Sector Group, which will act as an official advisor to the LEP – making sure opportunities for growth and jobs in the logistics sector can be supported and developed to their full economic potential.
The group was launched at Doncaster Sheffield Airport by James Newman, chairman of the LEP and Steve Gill, managing director at the airport, supported by Robert Hough, chairman of Peel Airports.
Mr Gill has been elected as interim chair of the Sector Group and has been tasked with developing membership from across the logistics sector, creating a strategy for the region’s logistics offering, forging key stakeholder relationships and feeding into the LEP’s regional growth plan.
The logistics sector has an economic output of £930m, employs 31,000 people in the Sheffield City Region and is forecasted to continue to expand.
Mr Gill said: “As an airport we are fantastically placed to play a key role within the new sector group. I feel that as a group we can work together to ensure that the City Region is a real centre of excellence and a key player within the national and international logistics industry.
“We have got a great story to tell in terms of our logistics expertise and the group is an excellent opportunity for people working within the sector to join together to share ideas, expertise and network in order to potentially influence the economic agenda.
“The feedback at the launch was incredibly positive and we have already had a number of businesses show an interest in becoming a member of the group – which is fantastic news.
“With work on the FARRRS link road expected to commence shortly, which will see journey times to the airport from Sheffield reduce for airport passengers and cargo operators to around 25 minutes, it is an exciting time to be working within the regional logistics sector and we are looking forward to its continued development.”
Mr Newman said that as a City Region in the centre of the UK and with excellent road and rail links to ports and distribution centres, the area has one of the best logistics hubs in the UK and this sector is of major economic importance.
He said: “We chose to launch the group to ensure that logistics as a sector is properly represented and has a voice within the LEP.
“One of the first roles for the new group will be to input into the LEP’s growth plan and bring industry expertise, issues, and ideas to the table.”
