Business, Freight News, Logistics, Road, Sea

Holyhead truck park clears hurdle

[ October 24, 2011   //   Chris ]

Wales’ Business Minister Edwina Hart has given the go-ahead for the sale of land at Holyhead port to the Conygar Investment Company to develop a nine-acre transport hub and lorry park for 140 heavy goods vehicles, with facilities for drivers, a fuel stop and an HGV service centre. A planning application is currently being prepared and should be submitted to the County Council within the next three months. The development could create up to 70 permanent jobs as well as a similar number of temporary jobs throughout the construction phase.

Anglesey Commissioner with responsibility for Economic Development, Alex Aldridge, said the development would help resolve long-standing issues of lorries parking overnight in lay-bys and in the town centre as drivers wait for ferries. The problem is exacerbated during periods of bad weather when sailings are cancelled.

Stena port manager Captain Wyn Parry added: “Following the closure of the Liverpool to Dublin DFDS service earlier this year Holyhead has already seen a significant increase in freight volumes so it has become imperative that a lorry park is established close to the port as soon as possible to avoid traffic congestion in and around the harbour.” Holyhead expects to handle over 330,000 lorries in 2011.
Conygar chief executive Robert Ware said: “We are pleased that the Minister has given her consent for the project to proceed and intend to submit a planning application as soon as possible. We have visited a similar facility in Dublin Port which is very successful and are determined to emulate that at Holyhead and discussions have also taken place with a leading Irish logistics company who wish to be involved in the project. We have already obtained consent for office distribution and warehousing space at Parc Cybi and believe that the transport hub and lorry park will compliment that development, which will in turn create many jobs.”