BPA Warns of Insufficient Infrastructure Funding

In marked contrast to the confident tone set in today’s press release by Forth Ports, the British Port Association (BPA) warns of a funding shortfall that might lead to inadequate border and customs infrastructure in a post-Brexit Britain.

With many bids for funding, the BPA is concerned that ports face a dilemma: proceed with scaled-back plans or find additional capital from lenders. Commenting, Richard Ballantyne Chief executive of the British Ports Association, said:

“On one level the Port Infrastructure Fund allocations are welcome, but we understand most projects have not received the full allocations. This means plans could need to be redrawn creating major pressures to get borders ready in time for next year. We will be asking urgently for clarification on the funding shortfalls and what the allocations mean for certain projects…”

The BPA represents over 100 organisations and covers over 400 ports and havens in the UK.