Politics · United Kingdom · 4 hrs ago
UK spent at least £100m on unused Brexit border sites
The UK spent at least £100m on Brexit border facilities that were never used or fully operated.
The seven sites were built in England and Wales to check goods arriving from Europe after the UK left the EU single market.
Five sites never became operational after the Conservative government decided not to introduce all planned checks, including checks on food from the EU.
The site at Guston near Dover cost £28m for land and initial work, but it remains an empty field.
Portsmouth’s facility cost £23m and received £17.1m in government funding, leaving the city council to cover a £6m shortfall; it has never operated at full capacity.
The spending left taxpayers and local councils paying for facilities with limited or no use, while the sources give no further plans for the sites.
The UK spent at least £100m on Brexit border inspection sites that were never used or were not used at full capacity, according to newly released HMRC information.
Five of seven inland border facilities in England and Wales never became operational after the government scaled back planned checks on goods from the EU.
The planned “Dover white cliffs” site near Guston has cost £28m for land and initial ground works but remains a field.
Portsmouth’s border control facility cost £23m and has never been used at full capacity.
The figures were released by HMRC in response to a freedom of information request.
- Who
- The UK government and HMRC. Local councils also contributed to some site costs.
- What
- At least £100m was spent on Brexit border sites that were unused or underused.
- When
- The spending was revealed in information released by HMRC. The dates of most spending are not stated.
- Where
- At seven planned inland border facilities in England and Wales, including sites near Dover, Portsmouth, Birmingham, Warrington, Ebbsfleet and North Weald.
- Why
- The sites were built to support checks on goods entering the UK after Brexit. The government later scaled back some checks.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Residents of Guston were told of plans for the “Dover white cliffs” inland border facility.
The National Audit Office put the overall cost of Brexit at an estimated £4.7bn.
The Guardian reported newly released HMRC information on spending at the seven inland border facilities.
- Total spending
- At least £100m
- Number of facilities
- Seven inland border facilities
- Dover site near Guston
- £28m
- Portsmouth facility
- £23m
- Birmingham facility
- £17m
- North Weald site
- £5m
What people are saying
did not require the acquisition of land