The Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Leadership Team recently took its monthly meeting on the road, visiting Portsmouth International Port (PIP) to gain a greater understanding of one of the city’s major transport hubs and key stakeholders.
As the UK’s second-busiest ferry port after Dover, PIP plays a significant role in connecting Portsmouth with the continent. It is also the UK’s most connected ferry port, offering more destinations than any other. In recent years, the port has continued to diversify its operations, developing extensive cruise and cargo facilities alongside its busy ferry services. In 2025 alone, almost 2.5 million passengers passed through the port.
The SCAS team was welcomed by Chris Hatter, Head of Compliance, and Joe Jordan, Port Operations & Security Manager, who provided an insight into the port’s day-to-day operations, the risks and challenges associated with such a complex environment, and the emergency arrangements in place to keep passengers, staff and visitors safe.
The visit also included a tour of the site, including the command and control facilities, giving the team the opportunity to see port operations first-hand and explore how SCAS and PIP can work together effectively during incidents.
SCAS Team Leader James O’Kennedy, who planned and coordinated the visit, said:
“The port brings millions of visitors and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of cargo through our city every year. Port operations present their own unique challenges and complexities, so this visit gave us a valuable opportunity to share information, discuss priorities and develop a better understanding of each other’s capabilities.
“A key principle of JESIP is ‘making friends before you need them’, and this visit was a great example of putting that into practice. Building strong relationships before an incident occurs helps us work together more effectively when it really matters.
“We look forward to developing our relationship with the port further and creating regular opportunities for shared learning, training and exercises.”