Parc Cybi, Holyhead Border Control Post: common questions

The site will be used as a location to inspect goods arriving into the UK via the Port of Holyhead.

The buildings on site will provide dedicated spaces for the inspection of various types of commodities and live animals. There will also be office space, staff and driver welfare amenities.

The site includes parking for vehicles attending an inspection as well as security measures and facilities to enable the checking of vehicles upon entering and exiting the site.

The site is close to the Port of Holyhead and is in close proximity to the A55, a key HGV route for accessing mainland Wales from Anglesey. Additionally, the Parc Cybi site is already designated for commercial development by Isle of Anglesey County Council.

The Special Development Order (SDO) application proposes establishing a ‘consenting envelope’.

This sets a maximum limit for certain aspects of the development such as the height of the building and noise, with an expectation that the constructed scheme will be significantly within these limits.

This approach has been adopted to enable the assessment of the scheme through the planning process, while allowing some flexibility to adapt to requests by third parties during the site designation process (the formal approval of the BCP being appropriate for the inspections required).

Construction work began in April 2023 and is due to be completed in early 2025.

There will be activity on site throughout the construction phase throughout 2023 and 2024, with construction expected to be fully completed in early 2025.

To manage the impact of this on local residents and ecologies there will be limitations on daily HGV movements, work will take place within standard construction hours and will follow best practice to limit disturbance of lighting and noise.

Existing ecological habitats will be protected, and reinforcement and enhancement activities to encourage biodiversity will occur as outlined in the environment report. All work will be contained within the site boundaries.

Only a proportion of HGVs arriving at the Port of Holyhead will need to attend the BCP facility.

The estimated number is up to 15 vehicles per day. The site will have capacity to manage up to 20 HGVs at any one time, including holding lanes on site to keep traffic away from the local road network. A maximum of 30 staff are expected on site at any one time with 45 on site staff parking spaces currently planned.

A maximum of 30 staff are expected on site at any one time including approximately 5 marshals required to safely manage vehicles and pedestrians within the facility.

Site access will be from Parc Cybi via the Parc Cybi / Lon Trefignath roundabout. Checked vehicles will travel from the Port of Holyhead on the A55 before exiting at junction 2 onto the A5153 before turning onto Parc Cybi. Most staff are expected to use the same route. Some may access the site from the west.

Historical ferry movement data has been used to model the scenario for vehicles arriving and departing from the BCP. The capacity of the BCP and the external highway network is considered sufficient to cater for these expected movements.

Staff working on site will work different shift patterns depending on their role. Shift changeover periods will be planned to occur outside of the traditional high peak hours, therefore minimising the traffic impact on the surrounding highway network.

Traffic congestion on the local road has been mitigated in the design of the BCP. HGVs will not be queuing to enter the site but held in lanes on site where they are security and safety checked before moving forward for inspection.

The on site capacity for HGVs exceeds the number of HGVs that are anticipated at peak times, allowing space on site for overspill vehicles.

The arrival lane at the BCP entrance, before the security gate, will enable each vehicle to be stopped briefly to ensure that it is required to visit the site.

The entire length of the route from the A55 to the BCP is currently subject to a no waiting order which is denoted by the existing double yellow lines. The enforcement of this order will continue to be applied by Isle of Anglesey County Council.

Multiple mitigation measures will be put in place to reduce the impact of noise on local residents, heritage, landscape and local ecology.

The site layout will be optimised to ensure that noisy site activities are screened by the new buildings and face away from the residential area, with activity mainly facing the road and business park.

A noise barrier will be positioned alongside the access road. The position is intended to fully screen the lanes from the south-west and south-east. 

HGVs that access the site will not pass by residential properties and there will be a single point of entry and exit for day to day use. A secondary emergency access is provided to be used only in special cases or circumstances such as fire/accident.

Drivers of all HGVs attending the site will be instructed to turn off their engines whilst they are parked or being inspected. This includes any engines used for cooling refrigerated trailers.

Up to 10 refrigerated trailers requiring assistance to keep their cargo will be able to hook up to an electrical supply, allowing the engine to be turned off and noise to be limited.

Idling in the lanes and temporary inspection zones will be limited to no more than five minutes per vehicle. This is to follow site operating procedures.

The site is within a partially developed area of Parc Cybi, and the spine road is already partially lit.

Lighting measures have been incorporated into the scheme design and have been set to ensure that lighting is directional, hooded and as low in height as is practicable.

Light spill will be contained to the Developable Area +1m only. Dark corridors around the perimeter of the site will be maintained.

Minimising the impact of buildings on adjacent sites to the residential area to the south west was a key consideration in determining the placement and height of the buildings. Buildings and hardstanding will be contained to the land identified as the “Developable Area”. Within this area building heights will be restricted.

A minimum of 10m landscape buffer of native mixed tree species will be planted between the existing bund of trees and the developable area to screen the development from west south west views of the site from those living in nearby residential properties.

Maintenance and management of this landscape buffer will happen for the lifetime of the BCP, to include replacement of any failed planting.

A Landscape Visual Appraisal included an Environmental Colour Assessment which proposes a colour palette for buildings and structures to ensure they sit within the landscape in an appropriate fashion.

As the scheme is to be a permanent development, long term employment opportunities would be generated.

During construction, jobs will peak at around 160 operatives, mainly subcontractors to Kier the construction contractor. A framework agreement with Kier is in place which guarantees that Kier will create ten new jobs (five apprentices and five previously unemployed) and will host 18 work placements.

Once the facility is operational, up to 30 employees per shift with two or three shifts over each 24 hour period are expected. These roles include security, cleaning, marshals, stevedores, Local Authority staff undertaking document checks and inspections and Animal Plant Health Agency inspectors, as well as specialists in environmental health, vets and inspectors.

The BCP supports the long term viability of Holyhead Port and helps safeguard the benefits the Port brings to the local area. Establishing a BCP at Holyhead is of national and local significance to the region, Wales and the UK.

The BCP will create jobs, both during construction phase and during its operation.

During construction phase at least 40% of the subcontracted spend will be with north Wales small to medium sized enterprises, and over £10 million will be procured from existing North Wales supply chains.

The purpose of the BCP is to inspect goods coming into Wales. These goods do not include hazardous waste, such as chemicals, nuclear materials, etc. Any animal waste deemed hazardous will be handled appropriately.

A waste plan will be developed by the appointed operator which will explain how all waste on the site would be managed and handled safely.

There is no statutory requirement to consult before making a special development order (SDO). The Welsh Ministers have the power to do things which are conducive or incidental to their functions by virtue of the common law executive functions transferred to them via section 58A of the Government of Wales Act 2006. This includes the power to carry out consultation.

The 2021 consultation ran for a period of 21 days from 24 March 2021 until 13 April 2021.

A second consultation on the inclusion of HGV Parking within the SDO ran for 21 days between 16 November and 6 December 2022.

UK Government’s Border Target Operating Model: The Border Target Operating Model: August 2023

Written Statement: Signing of the Construction Contract for Holyhead Border Control Post (29 February 2024)

Read the public consultation response to the SDO planning application: Parc Cybi Border Control Post: Special Development Order

Planning documents: 

• Parc Cybi, Holyhead Border Control Post: documents
• The Town and Country Planning (North Wales Border Control Post) (EU Exit) Special Development Order 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)