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European Union

Holyhead Border Control Post: A £47.8m Folly Before It Opens?

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

North Wales has been allocated £47.8m to construct a border control post at Holyhead, designed to handle the additional bureaucracy resulting from Brexit. However, the UK and EU's new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement has reduced trade barriers for food, plants, and animal products, making trade between the UK and EU more affordable and straightforward. This agreement raises questions about the necessity of the Holyhead border control post, and the Welsh Government has announced that it will not push forward with final commissioning and staffing of the site.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UK Government allocated £47.8m for the construction of a border control post at Holyhead, intended to manage sanitary and phytosanitary checks on fresh produce from the EU.
  • The new SPS agreement between the UK and EU reduces trade barriers for food, plants, and animal products, making trade between the two more affordable and straightforward.
  • The Welsh Government has stated that it will not proceed with final commissioning and staffing of the site until the final details of the agreement are known.
  • Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has criticized the potential waste of public money, stating that large sums have been spent and the truck stop was lost in the process.
  • Commenters have suggested alternative uses for the site, including using the admin block for drivers' R&R and potentially providing 1 and 2-bed rooms for drivers.

Statistics:

  • £47.8m: The amount of money allocated for the construction of the border control post at Holyhead.
  • £41m: The value of the construction contract awarded to Kier Group for the development at Parc Cybi.
  • 100: The number of HGV parking spaces that will still be available even if the inspection shed is closed.
  • 10/15 euros: The amount suggested as a fee for drivers to stay in the 1 and 2-bed rooms, as proposed by ThePickledLiver.
  • 2 million: The approximate number of ferry passengers that would be accommodated with 10/15 euro-a-night rooms, as commented by ThePickledLiver.

Sources:

  • [1] Byline: Claire Elliott & North Wales Live readers
  • [2] Comments from Northwalessaint, LlainPeris, Marti1, PaulLuckock, Steamnut, Jnrm

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