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STENA SET TO MOVE IN BESIDE P&O AT CAIRNRYAN

FERRY OPERATORS Stena Line have scrapped plans to move to a new terminal at Old House Point, seven miles north of Stranraer.

Instead, they will move in beside rivals P&O at the existing ferry base at Cairnryan.

Senior Stena officials have hailed the move as an exciting opportunity and have given assurances that there will be "no job losses".

It is understood that the move forms part of a bigger deal, involving Stena and P&O operations throughout the UK.

The Cairnryan announcement was made this week, ending speculation that the two companies were to merge their Lochryan operations.

Such a joint venture would have mirrored that which Stena and P&O operate on other routes, for example in the South of England.

The Free Press understands, however, that competition laws would preclude any such merger in Lochryan. Instead, both companies will retain their individual identity and use separate berths, crews and facilities on the North Channel route but will share the same complex at Cairnryan.

Stena North Channel route director Alan Gordon said that this week's announcement would lead to the time-scale for Stena's move out of Stranraer being speeded-up.

"The construction and planning stage should be quicker as we are not building a new port. But an exact time-frame for the move depends on planning consent and I cannot really give a date at the moment."

He added that Stena who employ around 500 from their Stranraer base envisaged no job losses as a result of this week's announcement.