British ports nonplussed by UK Budget

In his Autumn statement, the Chancellor committed £28bn funding for roads between 2020-25. It was perhaps the major point of interest for ports in addition to smaller announcements on infrastructure, regional growth, oil & gas and decommissioning, exports, fisheries, fuel duty, housing and skills.

Richard Ballantyne, chief executive, BPA, said: “Ports ask for very little from the Government, however they do rely on a stable economic and policy framework, an efficient planning system and a modern transport infrastructure.”

Key request

One of the BPA’s key requests from Government is around increasing public transport investment to help the UK ports and logistics industries compete with international competitors and drive regional economies.

“Most freight is transported on road and investment in our strategic trunk road network and the links to ports is a must,” he said.

Mr Ballantyne said that the BPA welcomed the announcement of the new resource the National Roads Fund, but he would like to see this suitably targeted to improve regional networks that serve ports.

Finally, on Brexit, Mr Ballantyne said that the BP welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement to allocate a further £2bn on Brexit planning.

However, it remains unclear if this will be used to ensure the adequate preparation of borders staff and facilities that may be required for potential new frontier requirements, either at or close to our ports.