Portsmouth International Port gets visit from levelling up minister Jacob Young after carbon-neutral terminal is unveiled

Jacob Young MP, who took over the role of parliamentary under secretary of state in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities last month, was joined by the port’s head of operations James Evans, head of cruise and ferry Andrew Williamson and Portsmouth City Council chief executive Natalie Brahma-Pearl for a tour of the new terminal.

Unveiled in August, the structure has been built to accomodate an uptick in cruise ships visiting Portsmouth – expected to rise to over 100 calls in 2024 – and improve the port’s carbon footprint through cutting-edge technology. During a visit in August, Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt claimed the investment will “add about £357m to our local economy within a decade.”

NOW READ: Portsmouth port breaks ground on new £11m carbon neutral terminal

Portsmouth International Port is the first in the UK to use sea water to heat and cool the building. Other environmental features include wind and solar technology, and internal and external living walls to help purify the air.

Speaking to The News during his visit on Friday, October 20, the Redcar Conservative MP highlighted his passion for coastal communities like Portsmouth and shared his excitement for the investment’s potential to boost the local economy.

The minister said: “It’s been absolutely fantastic to come and visit the terminal extension today and to hear about how the plans to take more cruise ships in, to take more customers to Portsmouth, to see Portsmouth and the amazing things that are going on in this city. I’m really pleased that we have been able to support this building with £11 million of levelling-up funding.

"I’ve been speaking to local council and the port operators today about how this project has helped transform the local economy. Some of that is in new job creations – I think there were a few hundred jobs created actually building the port extension itself – but there are also going to be further jobs created as we see more cruise ships coming in here.

"One of the key things that I think this brings is that carbon neutrality, which means air quality is improved, which can only be a good thing for people in the city.”

NOW READ: Portsmouth International Port: First passengers use new terminal - in pictures

The port was part of a successful £20m bid called Transforming the Visitor Economy, which also includes funding for Hilsea Lido and the creation of the UK’s longest urban park and Linear Park in the north of the city. Young said that the effects will be apparent over the “next couple of years.”

He added: “I think it’s fantastic that we are supporting Portsmouth with more than £30 million of levelling up funding. Whether that’s this project or some of the town funding projects that we are investing in as well, over the next couple of years people will see their communities start to change and I think that’s a fantastic thing.

“Coastal communities are really special to me – I’m a coastal MP myself up in the North East of England – and we are investing in coastal communities the length and breadth of the country.

“Levelling up is important in coastal communities - it’s important in city centres, towns, urban centres and rural communities as well.”