Wales on the Move IX: Wales on the Water

Do we need more international ferry links?

As mentioned in Part V our options are limited.

In terms of international ferry links, it’s pretty much Ireland or bust based on geography. Ferry links to and from Cork (from Swansea) have been revived and cancelled in the past. If that were to be revived it would likely make more sense to sail from one of the southwestern ferry ports (Fishguard or Pembroke Dock).

As for mainland Europe, journey times would be lengthy. Portsmouth to Santander takes up to 34 hours. Rosslare to Roscoff takes around 18 hours. So you would presume a journey from Fishguard or Pembroke Dock would take a similar amount of time.

A ferry link to/from mainland Europe would only become necessary if an independent Wales rejoins the EU in a manner that results in a customs border with England.

The Common Travel Area, which is being maintained despite Brexit, guarantees free cross-border movement for people, assuming an independent Wales remains outside the EU’s visa-free Schengen Area (as Ireland presently is).

Swansea might be the best-positioned ferry port for a mainland European link given that it’s close to the main industrial and population centres in the south. There might be a case for limited ferry sailings to mainland Europe from Holyhead too (possibly as an extension to existing Roscoff-Rosslare ferries) if enough traffic would be expected to use it use it.

There’s also the option of a direct ferry link with Northern Ireland and/or the Isle of Man. That might be a suitable future use of Mostyn dock (though the Liverpool-Isle of Man ferry is close enough).

Water transport for domestic travel

You could argue that water transport within Wales is underdeveloped; we have a few short ferry links to tourist and conservation islands or as shortcuts, as well as the Cardiff Bay Aquabus. That’s about it.

The most commonly discussed proposals for new ferry links revolve around the Bristol Channel/Môr Hafren.

While charter paddle steamers (i.e. The Waverley) and alike run during the summer, attempts to establish/reestablish cross-channel ferries have so far failed to materialise.

The last serious attempt (called Severn Link) – which would’ve run Penarth-Minehead and Porthcawl-Ilfracombe catamarans – fizzled out in 2012. The proposals were semi-revived during 2021-2022 via a series of press stories, with politicians on both sides of the channel (and Cornwall) expressing their support for the idea.

It could be another “dangler” (Part IV) – something politicians and businesses come out in support of but do very little to make a reality.

The argument in favour of cross-channel ferries is a massive reduction in travel times between southern Wales (and the Marches) and the northern coasts of Somerset, Devon & Cornwall.

Swansea and Cardiff could become the main high-service, shopping and entertainment destinations for people in rural southwest England (because it would be as easy to get to as Bristol, Exeter or Plymouth). Meanwhile, people in southern Wales and further afield would have easier access to tourist towns which would otherwise require a 3-4 hour drive or train journey.

The downside is that while some of the towns along the English side of the channel are popular with tourists, they’re quite small and might lack suitable facilities for a big vessel. You would expect most of the passenger traffic to be from Wales to England by weight of numbers. It may threaten some of the tourist towns along the Welsh coast like Mumbles, Porthcawl and Barry by providing more easily-accessible competition.

There’s potential for passenger ferry services in Cardigan Bay and along the north Wales coast too – which could be as fast or faster than the equivalent journey by road or rail.

The future of Welsh ports (and port towns)

A major issue here is Brexit. Freight and passenger traffic reportedly fell by 30% at Holyhead and Fishguard during 2021⁴.

Ferry companies serving Ireland have already established and increased “diversion routes” running directly between Ireland and mainland Europe to avoid the hassle of having to travel through Wales and England.

The “good news” is that the vast majority of sea trade to/from Wales is from outside the EU and, generally, freight traffic seems to have stabilised at a lower level⁵. Nonetheless, there’s a need to regenerate those towns that are most reliant on maritime transport (namely Holyhead and Fishguard).

The UK Government (with the support of the Welsh Government) have used Brexit to establish a “Celtic Freeport” covering the Port of Milford Haven (which is under UK Government control) and Port of Port Talbot, as well as an Anglesey Freeport (sites not selected yet, but you would expect Holyhead to be one of them).

“Freeports” are described as special economic zones. They’ll have different tax, planning and customs rules to encourage new businesses to establish themselves within the designated zones.

As is typical of these announcements, the project estimates “up to 19,500 new jobs” across both Welsh freeports would be created. There’s a particular focus on offshore wind and hydrogen technology at the Celtic Freeport and general job creation at Anglesey. It’s already been dealt one major blow in the last few days before even getting off the ground with the failure of the UK Government to sell leases for floating windfarms.

While on paper this sounds like a beefed-up version of “cutting red tape”, it’s not without problems. There have been accusations of corruption concerning a freeport at Teeside. Meanwhile the low regulation, soft touch environment – without recommended security and inspection regimes – could potentially be a magnet for criminal activities like money laundering, drug trafficking, smuggling and tax evasion^6.

So what about the other major Welsh ports? Decarbonisation appears to be a high priority.

4. BBC Wales (23rd January 2022). “Welsh ports had 30% less traffic due to Brexit – shipping chief”. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60099413
5. Welsh Government (22nd November 2022). “Sea transport, 2021” (p7-9). Available at: https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2022-11/sea-transport-2021-880.pdf
6. Centre of Crime & Financial Studies, Written Evidence for UK Parliament International Trade Committee inquiry into freeports. Available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/5407/html/