Portsmouth demands compensation for unused Brexit border post

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 17:00 · Archive

Portsmouth Port is seeking compensation for a £23m Border Control Post that may become unnecessary under a new UK-EU deal.

Portsmouth City Council is seeking compensation for a £23m Border Control Post at Portsmouth International Port that could become redundant under a new UK-EU deal. The facility was built in 2021 in preparation for post-Brexit checks on food, plant, timber and animal imports, with Portsmouth investing £6m and the government providing £17m in grants.

Port director Mike Sellers said the 4,500 square-metre centre was built to handle 80 trailer checks a day but has averaged only two. He described the underutilisation as a failure of planning: 'We built something that took two acres of our land... and by the time that the operating model that the government settled on in 2024, that went down to an average of two checks a day.'

Sellers said the centre would likely no longer be needed if the draft UK-EU deal came into force in spring 2028. The government said it was building a 'close relationship' with the EU to strengthen the economy and protect British industry, but did not directly address the port's calls for compensation.

How it is being reported

• ‘We want our money back’ over Portsmouth’s £25m border control postSteve Pitt has questioned the future of the underused facility amid proposed UK-EU changes.The News, Portsmouth · 4 Nov, 16:18
• Compensation sought over 'redundant' port facilityA new Brexit agreement could render a £23m Border Control Post at Portsmouth Port unnecessary.BBC Hampshire · 4 Nov, 15:05

In this story: Portsmouth International Port · Portsmouth City Council · Mike Sellers · Portsmouth · UK · EU

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