The UK spent at least £100m of taxpayers' money on seven 'zombie' Brexit border inspection posts, new HMRC data released under a freedom of information request shows. Five of the seven facilities in England and Wales never reached operational stage after the then-government decided not to implement all planned checks, concluding that food from the EU would meet the same high standards as before Brexit.
The so-called 'Dover white cliffs' facility near the village of Guston in Kent has cost the taxpayer £28m despite remaining a field. The Department for Transport paid £21m to procure the land and spent a further £7m on initial ground works, including an archaeological survey for Roman remains. Residents were told of the plans just hours before the end of the transition year on 31 December 2020.
Portsmouth port, owned by the city council, spent £23m on building its border control post, which has never been used at full capacity. The government provided £17.1m in funding, leaving the council to cover a £6m shortfall that could have been spent on essential services. Mike Sellers, the port's director, said only two trailer checks take place on average each day at the facility, compared with the 80 checks originally envisioned. He added that repurposing the bespoke facility would cost almost as much as demolishing it because it was built for food import checks and biosecurity.
Other sites include a facility at Birmingham airport car park that cost £11m to build and £6m to close; sites in Warrington and Ebbsfleet that together cost £20m; another at North Weald airfield near Stansted costing £5m; and the principal facility at Sevington in Kent, whose capital costs ran to £154m, with operational costs reaching £179m, money that would not have been spent without Brexit. The other site that remains operational is Holyhead, which gets goods from Ireland and cost £14m to acquire and £23m to build.
Eurotunnel separately spent €50m (£41.7m) on infrastructure for Brexit truck checks and €90m on passenger changes, including an entry and exit system never activated by the French. Portsmouth port's director and the city council's leader are among those calling on the government to provide compensation for the border posts that will become redundant when the UK's deal with the EU comes into force.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- UK taxpayers bore the cost of facilities built in haste and abandoned as policy changed, highlighting the financial fallout of unprepared Brexit planning
- Ports and local authorities that invested millions face ongoing costs for facilities that cannot be easily repurposed, diverting funds from other public services
- The revelations add to an estimated £4.7bn overall Brexit cost identified by the National Audit Office last year
Background
The border inspection posts, officially called inland border facilities, were designed to conduct post-Brexit customs and standard checks on goods entering the UK from the EU. The Conservative government built seven sites in England and Wales but then vacillated on implementing the checks, eventually scaling back after deciding that EU food standards remained equivalent to UK standards. The EU from day one applied full checks on UK goods at its ports. Most of the UK's lorry traffic is concentrated at Dover, but the area's designation as of outstanding beauty prevented construction near the port, forcing sites miles inland.
Key Perspectives
Mike Sellers, director of Portsmouth port: Said the facility was built to handle 80 trailer checks per day but now sees only two. Called for compensation, noting that repurposing the bespoke biosecurity facility will cost almost as much as demolishing it.
Residents of Guston: Were told of plans for the Dover white cliffs site on 31 December 2020, just hours before the transition year ended, and local opposition was strong.
Portsmouth city council leader: Joined calls for the government to compensate ports for border posts that will become redundant under the UK-EU deal.
What to Watch
- Whether the UK government issues compensation to ports and local authorities for the redundant sites
- How the remaining operations at Holyhead and Sevington evolve under the new UK-EU deal
- Potential further FOI revelations about other Brexit-related spending not yet disclosed
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe UK wasted at least £100m of taxpayers’ money on zombie Brexit border inspection posts.UK news | The Guardian: “The UK wasted at least £100m in taxpayers’ money to set up zombie Brexit border inspection posts that were never used, it has been revealed.”
- SupportedNew HMRC information covers the exact spending on seven inland border facilities.UK news | The Guardian: “Now fresh information from HMRC on the exact spend on the seven “inland border facilities” has come to light.”
- SupportedFive of the seven facilities in England and Wales never reached operational stage.UK news | The Guardian: “Five of the seven “inland border facilities” in England and Wales never got to operational stage”
- SupportedThe five facilities did not become operational after the government decided not to implement all planned checks, concluding EU food would be the same high standard as before Brexit.UK news | The Guardian: “because the Tories decided not to implement all the border checks after concluding food coming from the EU would be the same high standard as it was before Brexit.”
- SupportedThe Dover White Cliffs facility near Guston has cost £28m and remains a field.UK news | The Guardian: “Information from HMRC, released under a freedom of information request, shows the facility has so far cost the taxpayer £28m, even though it remains a field.”
- SupportedGuston residents were told about the facility plans on 31 December 2020, just hours before the transition year ended.UK news | The Guardian: “Furious residents at the village of Guston were told of the plans for the inland border facility on 31 December 2020, just hours before a “transition year” ended”
- SupportedPortsmouth port spent £23m on its border control post, which has never been used at full capacity.UK news | The Guardian: “Portsmouth port, which is owned by the city council, spent £23m on building its border control post, which has never been used at full capacity”
- SupportedThe government provided £17.1m for the Portsmouth project, leaving the council with a £6m shortfall.UK news | The Guardian: “The port received £17.1m in government funding for the project, leaving the council to make up the £6m shortfall”
- SupportedPort director Mike Sellers said an average of two trailer checks take place each day, compared with 80 originally envisioned.UK news | The Guardian: “Two trailer checks take place on average each day, according to the port’s director, Mike Sellers, compared with the 80 checks originally envisioned.”
- SupportedThe Birmingham airport-car-park facility cost £11m to build and £6m to close.UK news | The Guardian: “Newly released information shows it cost £11m to build with £6m in “closure costs”.”
- SupportedSevington’s capital costs reached £154m and its operational costs reached £179m.UK news | The Guardian: “The government previously revealed in a parliamentary question that total capital costs ran to £154m.”
- SupportedEurotunnel spent €50m (£41.7m) on truck-check infrastructure and €90m on passenger changes, including a system never activated by the French.UK news | The Guardian: “Eurotunnel spent €50m (£41.7m) on building the infrastructure for Brexit checks for trucks and €90m on changes for passengers, including an entry and exit system that has never been activated by the French.”
