THE UK Government is set to discuss providing funding to help reinstate a ferry link between Scotland and mainland Europe.
Plans for the route – three return sailings per week from Rosyth to the French port of Dunkirk – were put on hold in January this year due to a “lack of financial support” from both Westminster and Holyrood.
Ferry operator DFDS said at the time that this lack of “commitment” made the business case for the route “less viable” – with the project since stalling.
But now, local Labour MP Graeme Downie (below) has told The National he is set to hold a meeting with the UK Treasury "as quickly as possible" to discuss using the National Wealth Fund to help with the upgrades needed at the port in Rosyth with a view towards making the route a reality as soon as spring 2025.
The MP for Dunfermline and Dollar stressed that “as little as £3 million” would be needed to bring back this direct ferry link and told The National he will be writing to the Scottish Government.
He said in a Westminster debate on Tuesday night: “The National Wealth Fund would appear to me to be the ideal opportunity for this government to take the lead on developing the facilities at Rosyth that are needed to make that happen."
Downie added that Rosyth was already perfectly positioned for the service, with all that is needed is to improve some of the roads and access space for new security checks as well as the installation of power and associated works.
“It is estimated that a direct ferry link would carry 51,000 passengers per year, rising to 79,000 and bring an additional £11.5m spend to the Scottish economy each year on freight,” he went on.
“I've spoken to major employers in the constituency, including Amazon and MOWI, who have both said they would welcome this ferry link as it would help their contribution to the local economy.”
Downie, after he was prompted by SNP MP Stephen Gethins, also paid tribute to his SNP predecessor, Douglas Chapman (above), who championed the project during his time as MP for the area – helping to bring all the necessary partners together.
He also hit out at delays for the meeting, suggesting it only came to pass due to him securing the debate.
"I wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the start of October, but I received a reply only very recently, and I suspect only because this debate was on the order paper," he said.
"This is disappointing, particularly given the small amount of money and the deadline to make this project a reality in 2025."
Responding for the government during the debate, Martin McCluskey – an assistant whip and the Labour MP for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West – said he was aware that Chancellor Rachel Reeves had already responded to Downie’s request for funding and that he would be “delighted to assist in engaging with the National Wealth Fund”.
He added that he would help facilitate a meeting with the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Livermore, to discuss the issue further.
Downie told The National that he will “get the meeting arranged as quickly as possible”.
The Labour MP added that he will also write to Scotland’s Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop about “other issues” or "barriers" for the route.
This, Downie says, includes “amending the necessary legislation” that would allow border control previously utilised by Grangemouth to be used for the route and the Scottish Government confirming Transport Scotland funding for the Waterborne Freight Grant scheme.
The shipping expert behind the proposed route, Ptarmigan Shipping's Derek Sloan, previously told The National that an application had been made for Transport Scotland’s Water Freight Grant for “between £2m and £3m”.
Transport Scotland has previously expressed support for the route but stressed that it had to be delivered on a “commercial basis” – indicating no forthcoming financial support – and has been approached for further comment as well as an update on the application.
"There is an application sitting there, but I think we're waiting on the Scottish Budget to see what funding is available," Sloan said.
In the meantime, however, he said that Downie "certainly put the Scottish Government under a bit of pressure" .
Sloan also stressed the huge benefits the route could have for Scotland, from tourism and business to helping reduce carbon emissions and links to Europe.
"Making this investment will be significant with long-lasting returns. It's something that, alongside Douglas Chapman, we fought for," he said. "It's a no-brainer."
Ferries stopped sailing between Rosyth and mainland Europe (Zeebrugge in Belgium) six years ago, and the last that carried passenger services – and not just freight – was in 2010.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "We’ve always made clear our support for the development of Scotland’s ports and the potential for new direct freight and passenger ferry services linking Scotland to Europe.
“We will continue to engage with port operators and others to explore how that might be delivered so that Scottish exporters have more direct routes to market. However, the Scottish Government cannot subsidise routes in ways which would be anti-competitive beyond considering the availability of limited grant funding opportunities for freight initiatives.
“Transport Scotland are liaising with DFDS on possible Waterborne Freight Grant funding. We’ve been clear throughout our discussions that any new service will be required to be delivered on a commercial basis.”
