To submit the following question on notice by Councillor Robert Ll Jones to the Council Leader:-
“We are now seeing a big decline in the freight traffic coming and going to Dublin through the Port of Holyhead.
There are various reasons being given for this and we as a County Council have to be concerned and be seen to be doing all we can to support the two ferry operators and their workforce.
Will you please inform the local Seamen and Women and the residents of Caergybi and Ynys Môn as to exactly what we as a Council have done to engage with our Assembly Member and our Member of Parliament to ensure they are doing all they can to help our Port increase the traffic flow through Holyhead.
This is a very serious situation and make no mistake the other Port Operators in the U.K. and France are doing all they can to take our traffic through their Port and their Local Authorities will be doing all they can to encourage them”.
Minutes:
Submitted – the following question on notice by Councillor Robert Ll Jones to the Council Leader :-
‘We are now seeing a big decline in the freight traffic coming and going to Dublin through the Port of Holyhead.
There are various reasons being given for this and we as a County Council have to be concerned and be seen to be doing all we can to support the two ferry operators and their workforce.
Will you please inform the local Seamen and Women and the residents of Caergybi and Ynys Môn as to exactly what we as a Council have done to engage with our Assembly Member and our Member of Parliament to ensure they are doing all they can to help our Port increase the traffic flow through Holyhead.
This is a very serious situation and make no mistake the other Port Operators in the UK and France are doing all they can to take our traffic through their Port and their Local Authorities will be doing all they can to encourage them.’
The Leader of the Council said that regular meetings are conducted with the Assembly Member and the Member of Parliament as regards to issue of concerns on the Island. She noted that discussions as regard to the Port of Holyhead have been conducted over a number of years and that as Leader she had raised at WLGA meetings that local authorities with Ports within their authority needs to be supported. She further said that it was expected that traffic delays would have been seen at the Port of Holyhead but it is evident that the traffic flow has decrease. The Leader said she had requested meetings with Welsh Government Ministers as regards to the Port of Holyhead and discussions had taken place with Mr Jeremey Miles MS, Mr Ken Skates MS, Ms Julie James MS and Ms Leslie Griffiths MS. She further said that discussion have been undertaken with the Irish Government to share experiences as regards to the Port Authority and Officers from the Council also meet regularly with Welsh Government, UK Government and the Irish Government officials together with the Port Authority. Discussions are undertaking as regards to a free port designation for the Port of Holyhead and support has been afforded by the other 5 local authorities in North Wales to ensure economic benefit for the whole of North Wales.
Councillor R Ll Jones thanked the Leader of the Council for the work undertaken as regards to the Port of Holyhead. He said that it seemed that heavy good traffic are avoiding travelling from Ireland to Holyhead due to documentation and freight hauliers do not wish to carry mix load of goods. He asked that the Executive should demonstrate that they are working to address the loss of traffic through the Port of Holyhead as a result of Brexit. The Leader wished to respond that 96% of the freight hauliers paperwork is acceptable that come through the Port of Holyhead and the remaining 4% paperwork can be dealt with in less than half an hour.