According to the well-known business newspaper, the British Port Association (BPA) has written to the Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to warn of the significant losses port operators would incur should expensive infrastructure built for goods checks no longer be required.
“Ports should not have to repeatedly incur costs because of changing political winds. We are seeking a conversation on how the sector might be reasonably compensated,” reads a fragment of the letter published by the Financial Times.
Among the ports that would be likely to seek compensation is the Port of Portsmouth. Some three months ago, Mike Sellers, the director of the port, told the Guardian that their facility for goods checks was designed for between 50 and 80 vehicles a day, but that once open, the port is only expecting around 6.
More recently, Brian Murphy, chief executive of Poole Harbour Commissioners, told POLITICO that Poole’s port had invested over £500,000 in a facility for post-Brexit checks, only to see it used by “two or three people rattling around doing some paperwork.”
In a statement issued amid the reported calls for compensation, a DEFRA spokesperson said:
“Protecting U.K. biosecurity remains one of our key priorities. We will continue working with border control posts to ensure they operate effectively and are resourced appropriately.”
However, Richard Ballantyne, BPA chief executive, told POLITICO that ports have been unable to earn back the money invested in facilities as there aren’t enough checks to recoup money from via fees and charges.
Ballantyne is also concerned that the checks could be lessened further if a veterinary deal with the EU is stuck, thereby making the investment at Poole a waste.
Photo: Tim Sheerman-Chase, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
