The successful ports are Felixstowe, Harwich, Southampton, Portsmouth International, Plymouth, Poole, Newhaven, Immingham, Hull, Teesport, Heysham, Liverpool, Bristol, Sheerness, London Gateway and Dover.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the Department for Transport (DfT) £10 million Port Infrastructure Resilience and Connectivity (PIRC) competition, which offers ports up to £1 million each to deliver important infrastructure upgrades.
This could include creating more space for heavy vehicle parking and container storage as well as improving access for vehicles to help keep traffic and trade flowing smoothly across the border.
The fund comes as part of a £30 million government scheme, announced last month, to bolster ports across England and ensure they continue to operate efficiently post-Brexit.
Another £5 million will be provided to Local Resilience Forums (LRF) partnerships made up of representatives from local public services, including the emergency services in areas with key freight ports to help them build infrastructure improvements and ensure traffic continues to flow smoothly.
Meanwhile, UK customs says staff shortage won't result in Brexit anarchy. Although Britain does not have enough customs agents to cope with the additional stresses of a no-deal Brexit, one of the officials responsible for infrastructure at its border with the EU on Thursday dismissed fears of anarchy.
Just weeks before Britain is due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31, there is still no deal in place.
Speaking in Paris, revenue and customs agency (HMRC) official Margaret Whitby said HMRC believed the infrastructure and IT systems were in place to ensure no extra checks would be needed on the 5 million trucks a year that cross the English Channel and North Sea providing customs declarations were lodged in advance. ■
Under an intense surge of arctic air, Friday morning will begin with the coldest temperatures so far this season across much of the central and eastern U.S. with blustery conditions and a piercing wind chill.