£15.5m upgrade proposed for Fishguard ferry terminal

A £15.5 million upgrade to Fishguard Harbour is moving forward, with early-stage plans submitted for a major overhaul of the ferry terminal and surrounding infrastructure.

The proposals — understood to be led by Stena Line, which operates the twice-daily ferry to Rosslare — aim to replace the ageing linkspan bridge and temporary jack-up barge with a modern floating pontoon, improving safety and streamlining access for passengers and vehicles.

The scheme forms part of a wider £20 million investment programme announced by Stena Line last year, which includes improved terminal facilities and long-term infrastructure upgrades to support both freight and tourism growth.

To support the new pontoon, the latest plans include capital dredging of around 78,000m³ of seabed, with material disposed of at a licensed site in Milford Haven. A new reinforced concrete bankseat and tubular steel guide pile would anchor the structure, while land reclamation would extend pedestrian and road access to the terminal.

The works also involve the demolition of disused infrastructure, including an old RNLI slipway, and the installation of a rock armour revetment to protect against coastal erosion. A storm sewer extension and other utility upgrades are also proposed, alongside various temporary and ancillary works.

Documents submitted to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) describe the development as essential to maintaining ferry operations and improving long-term resilience. The new pontoon would allow safer berthing and reduce reliance on temporary infrastructure.

The planning boundary sits entirely within Fishguard Bay, a designated Special Area of Conservation, meaning environmental assessments are a key part of the process. Stena Line has already submitted detailed statements to NRW addressing marine biodiversity, flood risk, and coastal processes.

Fishguard Harbour — a strategic gateway to Ireland since 1906 — has long played a vital role in Welsh transport. It’s also becoming an increasingly important stop for cruise tourism, with vessels like the AIDAbella bringing over 2,000 German visitors to the town earlier this year. The proposed upgrades aim to future-proof the site for both commercial and leisure traffic while minimising disruption to ferry services.

More Fishguard stories from Swansea Bay News

Fishguard Port to see £20m investment
Published June 2024: Stena Line outlines plans for major infrastructure upgrades, including a new pontoon and improved passenger facilities.

Massive cruise ship brings over 2,000 mainly German tourists to Fishguard
Published May 2024: The arrival of the AIDAbella cruise liner highlights Fishguard’s growing role in Wales’s tourism economy.

#Ferry #Fishguard #FishguardHarbour #StenaLine

Fishguard Port to see £20m investment

The upgrade centres around a new linkspan, a crucial piece of infrastructure that allows ferries to load and unload. 

Stena Line has said it is applying to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for a marine licence application for the replacement linkspan, with construction scheduled to start in 2026. The new linkspan is expected to be completed and operational in 2027. 

The investment is intended to secure the port’s future for the next 30-40 years, addressing the aging infrastructure of the existing single-lane linkspan which dates back to the 1970s. 

A previous plan to build a new linkspan was cancelled in 2018, causing local concern about the port’s future. 

The Port of Fishguard is operated by Stena Line Ports Ltd., who are the statutory Harbour Authority.

Stena Line operates a twice-daily ferry service between Fishguard and Rosslare (Republic of Ireland). 

There have been other changes at the port related to Brexit, including improved customs infrastructure and increased parking for heavy goods vehicles. 

Stena Line is investing £20 million to upgrade the linkspan (a type of drawbridge for ferries) at Fishguard port, aiming to secure the port’s future for the next 30-40 years. Construction is planned to begin in 2026, with the new linkspan expected to be operational by 2027.

Ian Davies from Stena Line told the BBC that development would “offer many things”.

Mr Davies said: “Because the structure is a lot bigger, in essence it means that in future we can fit any size of ferry on to this berth which we don’t have that flexibility at the moment.

“As was shown during Storm Darragh, and the issues up at Holyhead, we were able to bring some other ships in to Fishguard but it was quite a struggle to do that. This really adds to the resilience that Stena Line ports have. We can bring vessels in, change vessels around, if and when the circumstances arise.

“It brings us right up to date. It’s a commitment really for the next 30-40 years that we have the infrastructure now to take this port to wherever the business takes us.”

#Fishguard #FishguardHarbour #PortOfFishguard #Rosslare #StenaLine

Massive cruise ship brings over 2,000 mainly German tourists to Fishguard

The 71,304 tonne ship carrying 2,174 passengers is on a nine-day cruise of Britain and Ireland and left Hamburg on 30 May before sailing to Portsmouth and Falmouth in England and then Cork and Dublin in Ireland.

The AIDAsol was built in 2011 at a cost of $420m. The ship has 14 decks and can carry 2686 passengers and 609 crew.

The ship arrived at Fishguard Harbour at 6.30am this morning (5 June) and will head off this afternoon at 3.30pm to Portland before returning to Hamburg on 8 June.

Passengers were greeted by Fishguard Friendly Faces, a group of around 30 volunteers who greet cruise ships to hand out goody bags and impart their local knowledge and enthusiasm.

Some passengers headed off on day trips to St Davids Cathedral, Carew Castle and Tenby, while others made use of a free shuttle bus to explore Fishguard.

The AIDAsol will return to Fishguard twice more this year as part of it’s scheduled UK and Ireland tours on 17 July and on 29 September.

#AIDACruises #cruiseShip #Fishguard #FishguardHarbour #Pembrokeshire #tourism