Portsmouth port Brexit bid for £25m funding now crucial as Boris Johnson says a no-deal Brexit is coming

A BID for up to £25m funding for Portsmouth’s port has become crucial in stopping traffic chaos across Hampshire as Britain shelves Brexit trade talks with Brussels.
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Boris Johnson yesterday said the European Union’s demands were ‘unacceptable’ and needed ‘fundamental change of approach’ – and warned business to prepare accordingly for an Australia-type deal.

The prime minister’s spokesman later told Westminster reporters that talks were ‘over’ ahead of the transition period ending on December 31.

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Crashing out of the EU could see some of the up to 600 lorries arriving at Portsmouth International Port backing up on the M275 and M27 if they have the wrong paperwork.

Prime minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus on Friday, October 16. Picture: PA Video/PA WirePrime minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus on Friday, October 16. Picture: PA Video/PA Wire
Prime minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus on Friday, October 16. Picture: PA Video/PA Wire

Twice last year measures costing £80,000 a week were put into action, including slashing the M275 speed limit, as Brexit loomed under a no-deal prospect. These will start again in December.

Now after Mr Johnson’s announcement – where he said Britain should look towards the end of transition with great confidence’ – that remains on the horizon.

Portsmouth City Council owns the port. Its leader Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, said the authority could ill-afford the £25m new port infrastructure costs on top of the £12m deficit brought on by a drop in income from Covid-19.

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Lorries carrying freight cargo wait to disembark from a Brittany Ferries service from Caen to Portsmouth International Port in January 2019. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesLorries carrying freight cargo wait to disembark from a Brittany Ferries service from Caen to Portsmouth International Port in January 2019. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Lorries carrying freight cargo wait to disembark from a Brittany Ferries service from Caen to Portsmouth International Port in January 2019. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images
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And running a system to avoid congestion if lorries turn up in January with the wrong paperwork will cost £3.8m in the first six weeks alone.

He told The News: ‘If we don’t get (the money) we will have to think very seriously - we’ve got a £12m deficit this year because of Covid at the council.

‘I’m scraping the bottom of every barrel I can find to find the money to plug that gap.’

Hinting at possible cuts in council services, he added: ‘We will have to think very carefully about what we can afford.’

Portsmouth International Port. Picture: Sarah Standing (160744-841)Portsmouth International Port. Picture: Sarah Standing (160744-841)
Portsmouth International Port. Picture: Sarah Standing (160744-841)
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The Lib Dem leader added the situation was caused by ‘government decision’ and government ‘needs to make sure they’re funding stuff’ caused by those choices.

Government is inviting bids to a £200m Port Infrastructure Fund offering one-off grants. The cash could be used for ‘warehouses and control posts to traffic management systems,’ the government said. Bids are due by October 30.

New infrastructure including extra Border Force facilities and port health checks are needed at Portsmouth’s port, along with gate automation, and IT integration with new HMRC systems.

This is on top of the staffing costs of the lorry triage system, called Operation Transmission and organised by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum.

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Measures to avoid lorry tailbacks included a series of checkpoints, with one at the £600,000 Tipner West site, and a 230-lorry capacity stack on the A31 to check paperwork. There would be overflow space for 200 on the A303 if needed.

Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt said: ‘Our port is in good shape.

‘A great deal of thought has gone into how things will work and what the opportunities are for us.

‘Timescales are challenging but everyone is pulling out all the stops. This could mean more business for the port and it will create more jobs too.

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‘In addition to the infrastructure funding we are asking for we are hoping to capitalise on the freeport opportunity which will further help the local economy.’

The resilience forum said: ‘Subject to the plans being appropriately funded, arrangements to mitigate congestion will start immediately at the point we leave the EU.

‘The planning phase to enable those arrangements to be in place has already begun, involving all relevant agencies and coordinated by the Local Resilience Forum.’

Government minister Michael Gove visited the port on Thursday. Media were not invited.

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