Freeport plans: Harwich International Port HARWICH’S former MP has called for the town to be made the priority for development as part of the Freeport bid. Ivan Henderson, who worked on the docks for 20 years, has backed the bid by Freeport East, a group made up of businesses and local authorities, calling on the Government to assign freeport status to Harwich and Felixstowe. If approved, the group estimates 13,000 new jobs and 150 apprenticeships could be created in the region, while the freeport zone would attract £500million of investment over the next five years. Mr Henderson has called for Harwich to be the priority for development rather than the Port of Felixstowe, which is the UK’s largest container port.