‘We want our money back’ over Portsmouth’s £25m border control post

Portsmouth council leader Steve Pitt has demanded “we want our money back” after a proposed EU deal could leave the port’s “white elephant” £25m Border Control Post redundant.

The Border Control Post (BCP) opened in 2024 to carry out checks on plants, animals, timber and food products entering the port.

It was built following Brexit, which brought significant changes to customs procedures and health requirements for imports.

In 2025, the high-tech facility was dubbed a “white elephant” after a government deal with the European Union removed the need for health and veterinary checks leaving it largely unused.

At the time, an average of three checks were carried out each day at the BCP, compared with the 80 a day it was designed to handle.

Earlier this year, questions were raised about mothballing the facility amid concerns over its low usage and whether it was still needed.

On November 3, a draft UK-EU agreement was reported to have been reached which could remove many of the routine health checks currently carried out at BCPs.

Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council, argued the changes would make the BCP “completely redundant”.

The council invested £6m in the facility, prompting Cllr Pitt to say on social media: “we want our money back”.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that: “We’d really like the government to write us a cheque for all the money we spent on it then we can look to the future, ideally you wouldn’t want to waste a brand new building that’s had £25m spent on it but if we can’t find a reasonable economic use for it then we’ll have to knock it down.

“Land is valuable at the port, nothing goes to waste and the BCP is occupying a big chunk of it.”

The Government has said it is working with port operators to assess what changes may be needed to border infrastructure as it negotiates a new agreement with the EU.

In response, a government spokesperson said: “We are building an ambitious, close relationship with the EU that will strengthen our economy, protect British industry, and create more opportunities for young people across the UK.”

Asked whether ports which had built BCPs would receive financial compensation or support, the Government said it was working closely with operators to assess the changes required.

It added that further information would be provided as implementation plans were finalised.

The document outlining the proposed arrangements is an EU first draft and has not yet been agreed by the UK. The Government said it would not provide a running commentary on live negotiations.

The next UK-EU summit, where the proposals are expected to be discussed, is due to take place on November 20.