Portsmouth port: "White elephant" Brexit border control post sees barely any import checks a day

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A "white elephant" border control post at Portsmouth International Port is carrying out barely any product checks than when first envisioned - leaving it as an “untenable drain” on the council’s finances.

The £25m two-acre facility is continuing to be a financial burden for Portsmouth City Council (PCC), which took out a multi-million pound loan to cover its construction. Built to accommodate large-scale security checks for exports post-Brexit, the facility - dubbed a “white elephant” by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson - has been largely unused.

Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of PCC, said it was built to accommodate 80 checks a day following estimations from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) under the previous Conservative government. The Liberal Democrat politician said port workers have been carrying out 80 checks a month, an average of two or three a day.

The Border Control Post at Portsmouth International Port, which has been described as a "white elephant" by councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, has been much fewer checks than first thought. Port director Mike Sellers said roughly half of the building will not be used.The Border Control Post at Portsmouth International Port, which has been described as a "white elephant" by councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, has been much fewer checks than first thought. Port director Mike Sellers said roughly half of the building will not be used.
The Border Control Post at Portsmouth International Port, which has been described as a "white elephant" by councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, has been much fewer checks than first thought. Port director Mike Sellers said roughly half of the building will not be used. | Habibur Rahman

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The Border Control Post at Portsmouth International Port, which Councillor Steve Pitt said could become an “untenable drain” on the council’s finances.The Border Control Post at Portsmouth International Port, which Councillor Steve Pitt said could become an “untenable drain” on the council’s finances.
The Border Control Post at Portsmouth International Port, which Councillor Steve Pitt said could become an “untenable drain” on the council’s finances. | Habibur Rahman

“This activity is not sustainable in covering ongoing operating costs, which are significant, and not forgetting the £6m shortfall in funding to cover the costs to build the BCP, as directed by government,” Cllr Pitt said. “It’s an impressive facility, laboratory grade inspection rooms working at critical temperatures, bio-secure chambers segregated for animal, plant and forestry goods, however this is only being used to a fraction of its full potential.”

The complex, built to deadline on July 1, 2022, is used to handle inspections on animal products, plant and forest products coming from the EU imported goods. A £17.1m grant was provided to PCC, but they still have to cover a £6m shortfall. In April of that year, the government announced a U-turn and stated it would not be implement the next phase of its border operating model. After spending several months sitting empty, hitting the local authority with its £1m a year running costs, the facility opened earlier this year.

The previous government’s Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) outlined which items needed to be checked for possible contamination and diseases, but to a lesser extent compared to the previous model. Port director Mike Sellers previously said they expected to monitor four to five vehicles a day, despite the BCP being primed to handle an average of 50 checks every 24 hours.

The 51-year-old, who was left frustrated by the whole ordeal, said the main aim for the port is to minimise the BCP’s costs as much as possible, which could result in it being demolished for a new facility. The council has written a letter to DEFRA to outline its position.

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Mike Sellers, port director at Portsmouth International Port. Picture: Habibur Rahman.Mike Sellers, port director at Portsmouth International Port. Picture: Habibur Rahman.
Mike Sellers, port director at Portsmouth International Port. Picture: Habibur Rahman. | Habibur Rahman
Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council. Picture: Sarah StandingCouncillor Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council. Picture: Sarah Standing
Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council. Picture: Sarah Standing

Richard Ballantyne, chief executive of the British Ports Association - the national membership body for ports in the UK - told POLITICO that since many of the facilities are barely used, recovering costs would be “difficult or impossible”. He added that the situation could get worse under the new government.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is looking into striking a veterinary - or sanitary and phytosanitary - agreement with the European Union, outlining the aim in a pledge on his election manifesto. This could lessen the need for checks on certain items, or make them redundant altogether.

Cllr Pitt added: “We need clarity on a long-term border strategy for the BCPs from government, to understand what their future use looks like, otherwise we are faced with an untenable drain on our finances. We hope that they will listen to these concerns from the whole ports industry and urgently review the situation.”

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