Lorries ‘face bizarre back and forth journey’ after failure to find customs site on island:

WHY HGVs ARRIVING IN HOLYHEAD POST-BREXIT AND DELIVERING TO WELSH CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE TO DRIVE TO ENGLAND AND THEN BACK INTO WALES

POST-BREXIT customs checks on lorries arriving at Holyhead port will be carried out in England until a new Anglesey facility is built, according to sources.

Proposals for a customs HGV facility on Anglesey Show’s existing park-and-ride facility on the Mona Industrial Estate were thrown out by the island’s local authority in September.

The clock is now ticking down to the end of the transition period on December 31, after which time checks will need to be carried out on traffic coming to the UK from the Republic of Ireland.

Sources have said that with no site yet found on Anglesey, traffic is to be directed to interim locations in Birmingham and Warrington.

This will mean some trucks heading to local destinations will need to drive into England for checks before travelling back to Wales.

There is a phased approach to implementation, with “controlled” goods such as alcohol and tobacco in phase one on January 1, and from July all goods will be subjected to customs declarations at the point of importation, and relevant tariffs.

A source said the sites in England were a “temporary” measure and that officials have identified two sites – not yet named – within 30 minutes of Holyhead port.

Discussions are now taking place before a decision is taken on bringing forward one of these sites.

For the temporary facilities, the Warrington site is understood to be the former Shearings Coach depot at Appleton Thorn.

HMRC said it expects the site to be needed for up to two years.

UK Government has also published plans for a 200-space customs site in Solihull, which they also say would be for up to two years.

They are using emergency planning legislation to push through the plans.

Ynys Môn MP Virginia Crosbie raised the issue of Holyhead port at the Welsh Affairs Committee on Thursday, asking Welsh Secretary Simon Hart what progress had been made on securing an island site.

Mr Hart said there was an “expectation” the July deadline can be met.

He said there were now three or four meetings a week with officials to ensure the potential risk of disruption is “minimised”.

He added he was as “confident as can be” that a facility would be in place by July.

Talks over a last-minute postBrexit trade deal between the UK and EU have resumed.

If there is a trade deal, the detail of customs declarations in terms of the duties and charges associated may change, but fundamentally from January 1 customs declarations and security fillings will be required.