Anglesey MS say plans to use Holyhead truck stop as Brexit freight checkpoint could cause major problems for town

Plans to use a truck stop in Holyhead as a post-Brexit freight checkpoint could cause major problems for the town, a Senedd Member has said.

Anglesey MS Rhun ap Iorwerth slammed the UK Government’s preparations for the nation’s departure from the EU as a “sheer shambles”.

It came after he criticised its apparent decision to take over the Roadking truck stop in the town from July next year to serve as a checkpoint.

The Plaid Cymru politician said he’d been informed that 28 staff members at the truck stop would lose their jobs if the plans go ahead.

Speaking during a Senedd session this afternoon, he called for First Minister Mark Drakeford to seek assurances that those impacted will be re-employed at the new border post.

He said: “Whilst this might have helped resolve one piece of the Brexit jigsaw, it’s created new problems, because the truck stop is a vital part of the port’s infrastructure, stopping trucks from having to park all around town.

“What we needed was a new border development in the Holyhead area, but at this eleventh hour, we’re just seeing blind panic, I think, from a UK Government that’s paid scant attention to the needs of Holyhead.

“Part of Holyhead’s border infrastructure is still earmarked for Warrington, as far as we know.”

He added: “Couple all this with the nervousness around the as-yet-untested new electronic checks on exported goods being introduced on 1 January, and we can see the risk Holyhead faces now.

“It’s the best Irish sea crossing, and I get very nervous with all the talk about increasing direct freight between Ireland and continental Europe to avoid land bridge problems.”

The First Minister said he agreed with his assessment of the UK Government’s preparations for Brexit, but had yet to see a formal announcement on the truck stop being taken over.

He warned it was a sign of what’s to come when the Brexit transition period comes to an end later this month.

Mr Drakeford said: “It’s three and a half years since the Brexit referendum, and with weeks to go now, the state of preparations at Holyhead does indeed demonstrate just how shambolic the UK Government has been in delivering the outcome for which the Prime Minister campaigned.

“The member has identified the site on the island that is apparently to be the UK Government’s preference, but I’ve not seen them formally announce that as the location even today.

“We first knew of the difficulties the UK Government was in when they shared this with us at the end of August, and that was because they’d failed to secure the agreement of the local authority to the plans that they then had in place for dealing with the impact of leaving the European Union on the port of Holyhead.

“Ever since then, we have worked with the port authorities, the local council and the Irish Government.

“The Irish Consul General to Wales is visiting Holyhead today and with HMRC and the UK Government to try to resolve some of those just intensely practical matters that they’ve had three and a half years to grapple with, and still, at this very last minute, are in a scramble to resolve.

“It’s just a sign of what is to come, and those who argued for it are responsible.”