Stena seeks go-ahead for Irish Sea ferry terminal

Published on Monday 5 January 2009 21:05

PLANS to build the first phase of a multi-million-pound ferry terminal on the south-west coast of Scotland are set to move forward this week.

A planning application by the ferry company Stena Line to begin preparatory work for a terminal near Cairnryan will come before Dumfries and Galloway Council.

The firm wants to move its Irish Sea services out of Stranraer and along the coast to Old House Point. Stena has said the terminal will cut passenger times to Belfast.

The company is seeking the go-ahead to carry out ground works. That would involve a range of excavation and in-filling operations, as well as the widening of the site entrance and work on the access road.

The application, whichplanning officials recommend for approval, will be considered by Dumfries and Galloway Council's Wigtown area committee this week.

The plans replace proposals to move five miles up the coast of Loch Ryan to where P&O is based. They were abandoned in 2007, with the company citing prohibitive costs.

A Stena spokesman confirmed yesterday that the planning application would be going ahead. "Essentially, this application is for the ground works. Work on an environmental impact study for the area is also being carried out." He said that, if all went to plan, Stena hoped the terminal would be up and running by the autumn of 2010.

"The construction process will give jobs to hundreds of people, but it is too early to say what impact it will have on employment once it is running," he added. Stena employs 400 people in the Stranraer area.

Old House Point was a military port during the Second World War, although only remnants remain. The Old House Point project was identified last month by the Scottish Government as one of 12 major infrastructure projects with the potential to support the economy.

Last night, Alex Fergusson, the local MSP, said: "It would be fair to say that, since the project was named as one of the 12 major infrastructure projects and now this planning application, that Stena has shown commitment to the south-west of Scotland."

Mr Fergusson said that, at the very least, he expected employment levels to be kept the same by Stena, in addition to the creation of a large number of construction jobs. He acknowledged, however, that, as Stena had pulled out of the past project, there was still doubt over the completion of the project.

"There has always been a concern that, if too many hurdles were placed in the way of the development, they could pull out. However, I am convinced that the company has a commitment to this area."