Fishguard redevelopment getting closer

[Steven]

it was 20m for the ship and linkspan, only 12m was quoted for the linkspan

What were they getting for the 8m extra ?

Still think 12m to replace Linkspan is very expensive (not that I have any background in civil engineering)

The redevelopment of berth 1 at Cairnryan cost in the region of £13m.  Arguably the Fishguard project could require more work.

[lynx1]

for the groundworks in fishguard they would have to stop work when the ship came in, and restart when the ship went out, which would impact on the workers hrs and they would have to pay out a lot in overtime to finish the work on time

[pdnr777]

apart from the linkspan what improvements were to be made to fishguard port in the redevelopment that were associated with the stena ferry operation. in addition; when is it foreseen that the stena europe will be replaced on the route and will any improvements be made to customer facilities for the travelling public

[giftgrub]

for the groundworks in fishguard they would have to stop work when the ship came in, and restart when the ship went out, which would impact on the workers hrs and they would have to pay out a lot in overtime to finish the work on time

Was the plan not to close the port for three months, Feb- May and then reopen ?

It does seem strange that Stena got their figures so wrong, for instance budget of 5m, estimates come in at 12m - budget obviously wrong.

--

However we have now moved from a company wanting to spend 5 mill, and continue operations to now apparently thinking of closing the route, given the Linkspan was built over 30 years ago a 12 million investment gives a new Linkspan is not such a big deal, just extend payback period. the much maligned Rosslare harbour has much newer Linkspan.

Also when all the new vessels arrive in Dublin (E Flexer 1 / IF newbuild MV Georgie Burgess paired with Adventurer and Ulysses respectively) congestion on the M50 is going to be very heavy as 6/7 Kms of freight arrive in Dublin every time the two Ferries arrive, for anyone in the greater m50 area it is already a glorified car park, that is going to get much worse.

It is also incredible that just as New Ross bypass and Motorway extension to Wexford are nearing completion for 2019 making Rosslare more accessible than ever, the  leading ferry companies are about to consolidate operations to Dublin. 

Maybe Welsh government will make up the difference in a development grant and keep Fishguard open and in business for the future.

[giftgrub]

This link just spotted posted on the Facebook by Steve Tarbox

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-44636200?CMP=share_btn_me#

[Steven]

Ultimately I think the main consideration here is possibly Brexit, and more specifically it's potential effect on the Fishguard route.  At present there isn't a lot of clarity on the consequences for trade for example.  People and goods will always need to move across the central corridor, but with the lower volumes further south a drop in traffic is potentially going to have a bigger impact.

Stena need to commit serious money to keep Fishguard going in the longer term.  The current linkspan has a few years life left which is possibly enough time to figure out what the future holds.  Europe can't go on forever (and let's not forget she's had a totally different career to the likes of Danica which is still on the service she was designed for), but she can't realistically be replaced without some sort investment in Fishguard either as more modern tonnage the size of Europe doesn't grow on trees.  What Stena had planned was more like a partial redevelopment of the port rather than just a linkspan replacement.  I think we also neeed to remember that this redevelopment was just a proposal, and there's no reason why alternative proposals can't materialise.  Someone mentioned on the Ferries! Facebook group that the application for the Harbour Revision Order hasn't been withdrawn which perhaps suggests Stena are biding their time to see how things go rather than pulling the plug totally.

[Steven]

Stena have reaffirmed their commitment to Fishguard in a modified press release.

Stena 'fully committed' to Fishguard ferry terminal
28 June 2018

The Stena Line ferry company has insisted it is "fully committed to supporting and developing" its terminal at Fishguard in Pembrokeshire.
Eight days ago it announced it had dropped a £5m plan to replace the flexible ship-to-shore bridge that allows vehicles on and off.
Local councillors described it a "worrying time" for the town.
The new commitment to the port came in an updated statement on Thursday.
The ferry operator had already invited tenders for the work to replace the Linkspan bridge on the Fishguard to Rosslare route.
But earlier this month it cancelled the plan and said it did not now "have a timescale for future developments".
The decision followed Stena's scrapping of plans for a marina and apartments at the Fishguard terminal in January to "focus all resources on our core business".

Local councillor Pat Davies said she was deeply concerned by Stena's decision not to proceed with the new ship-to-shore connection and that the company could pull out.
"I can't really bear to think about it actually and other people in our community feel the same," she said.
"There is no alternative employment in our area to pick up that shortfall."
Transport expert Dr Andrew Potter from Cardiff University said the port could struggle to survive without the funding.
"Stena Line has to look at the Holyhead route which is the main Irish sea route," he said.
"It may be that they are reserving their funds for Holyhead at the expense of Fishguard."
In response Stena Line has reissued its statement from earlier this month with an amended last line.
It said: "Stena Line does not have a timescale for possible future developments but remains fully committed to supporting and developing its ferry services at Fishguard."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-44644552

To be honest I don't think we can ask for much more from them at this stage.  Yes the previous proposal is dead for now, but that doesn't mean there won't be others in the future.  If the Linkspan story hadn't been published by the press in the first place would people be half as worried?  From memory the existing structure has 5 years left in its "design life", but its perhaps even possible to extend that with much less investment than the previously reported proposal.  The Cardiff University "expert" seems to like stirring things in any case by speculating that the money is going to Holyhead instead!

[NathanBrady]

dey should just move to milford haven an go seasonal.  who wants to go to fishgard on holiday anyway

[NathanBrady]

dey can paint the rust on stena Europe the rest of the year den

[Steven]

dey should just move to milford haven an go seasonal.  who wants to go to fishgard on holiday anyway

I'm not sure Milford Haven even want the ferry service they have that much to be honest, never mind another one!  Think they are more interested in tankers and the like.

[Matt73]

dey should just move to milford haven an go seasonal.  who wants to go to fishgard on holiday anyway

I'm not sure Milford Haven even want the ferry service they have that much to be honest, never mind another one!  Think they are more interested in tankers and the like.

Somebody has started a separate thread on using Port Talbot as a new southern corridor port to Cork. 

Matt

[Steven]

dey should just move to milford haven an go seasonal.  who wants to go to fishgard on holiday anyway

I'm not sure Milford Haven even want the ferry service they have that much to be honest, never mind another one!  Think they are more interested in tankers and the like.

Somebody has started a separate thread on using Port Talbot as a new southern corridor port to Cork. 

Matt

To which I have replied  ;)

[giftgrub]

Some great info on the postponed revamp at Fishguard

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/702122/Non_Technical_Summary.pdf