The future of the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry service faces a number of challenges, political and business leaders were told today (Wednesday 9 July).
The Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council spelt out the key issues at a meting of the Greater Brighton Economic Board at Sussex University.
Councillor Bella Sankey, who re-elected as the chair of the economic board, said: “The Newhaven-Dieppe ferry service is currently under pressure.”
She cited “rising carbon taxes, tightening French public budgets and an EU complaint challenging the €26 million (£22.4 million) per year subsidy that keeps the route viable”.
Councillor Sankey said: “These challenges threaten the long-term future of this strategically important connection.
“In response, the board has issued a formal letter of support to SMPAT, the French organisation that owns and subsidises the route.”
She said that this recognised “the ferry’s vital role in our regional economy, sustainability goals and international connectivity – and affirming our commitment to working together to secure its future”.
The legal claim was announced earlier this year by Brittany Ferries which operates routes between Portsmouth and France and is suing the Danish shipping company Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab (DFDS).
DFDS operates Transmanche Ferries and has the concession until 2027, having been awarded the contract by le Syndicat Mixte de Promotion de l’Activité Transmanche (SMPAT) which owns and subsidises the route.
Brittany Ferries said that the subsidies had cost its business £125 million since 2013 – and the chairman, Jean-Marc Roué, said: “These subsidies granted by SMPAT allow DFDS to levy artificially low fares that are out of touch with economic reality.
“This draws a significant proportion of traffic to Newhaven-Dieppe to the detriment of Brittany Ferries’ Normandy routes.
“New environmental taxes (emission trading systems, decarbonised fuel, etc) weigh heavily on our own business and force us to invest in decarbonisation but are in fact offset for DFDS by the unfair subsidies they receive.”
He told a French newspaper, Le Marin, that the grants paid to DFDS were a “waste of public money”, adding that the Normandy Regional Audit Office had criticised the system on two occasions but without any change to SMPAT’s policy.
As well as a civil claim, lodged with the commercial court in Brest, in Brittany, a complaint has also been lodged with the European Union (EU) Directorate-General for Competition.
The Newhaven route gives access to the continent for the people of the South- East as well as the local pleasures of Dieppe. It would be a real loss if it closed. So much more could be made of this link with a little more imagination.
Day trips from Newhaven to Dieppe used to be a popular activity. Why are they are no longer available?
The ferry company is not fully using the potential of the route.
Popular but not profitable. The most profitable traffic isn’t day trippers but freight. Lorry drivers required to take a break from driving find the 4 hour crossing useful. The ferry timings are designed to maximise lorry traffic. Leaving the EU also meant that traffic to and from Ireland that used to go via Newhaven, now goes on direct ferries from Ireland to mainland Europe. It’s longer, but avoids paper work.
A Quick Look at the schedule shows it’s not conducive to day trippers. Ditto the 4 hour crossing time.
The schedule is designed to meet the needs of freight not foot passengers.
It also took four hours each way when there were day trips. The Ferry filled by large numbers of people intending to shop in delightful Dieppe and to take advantage of their duty free allowance. The duty free returns were such to allow the company to offered some trips for £1 person in 1970/80s.
Look at the current schedule.its hardly conducive to a day trip.
It might have been different in the 70s but today’s schedule doesn’t allow it.
Also what people were happy to do 40 years ago isn’t the same as now when you can fly to huge parts of Europe much quicker.
I remeber when there were night-time non-landing trips where you stayed on the ferry and partied…then picked up your duty-free on the return journey. This would have been back in the 70s.
I can remember when the crossing used to take a little over 3hrs. on the Senlac 2 crossings per day, as many passenger`s as you like. Maybe change the ship, bit more economical?
I can remember when the crossing used to take a little over 3hr`s on the Senlac, 2 crossings per day, as many passengers as you like. Maybe change the ship, something bit more Economical ?
Yes two round trips a day, fantastic.
Britany Ferries have become a “short cruise” company, NOT a ferry company, and have only themselves to blame.
Not forgetting the fact that they have been ” bailed out” by the French Govt more than once !!!
So Bella Sankey is looking at expanding the city of Brighton and Hove to include Newhaven‽
Oh i love this route to France, so easy from Brighton, breakfast, lunch and you’re there.. Pick a sunny day and its a stunning crossing! On the way back, if you like, a nice little cabin to relax in…. And not too far to get home afterwards… It would be a real loss to the South East to lose this access point to the continent… One of the attractions to living in Brighton is that its not cut off, it has good transport links, Gatwick and Newhaven and the M23 and the trains (when they are working) plus good local buses… I hope Bella Swanky speaks French and has the nouse to be able to negotiate with her French counterparts to keep this service and keep Brighton and the South East in the loop!
As far as I know the way DFDS transfer the “unfair subsidy” to its customers is to give “over 60s” passengers a 20% discount. All other passengers pay a full fare.
Obviously, the best fares are to be had when the ships are least frequented, and so less economic to run, ie. antisocial times (23.00hrs arriving at Dieppe at 04.00hrs) and weekends.