The South Downs area is one of England’s gems but still needs economic massage, like all coastal areas. Our port, Newhaven, hangs on by a thread but should surely be given the best hopes of survival or even thriving, for the good of the area. Experience this week suggests room for improvement which is in the hands of those responsible.
Its all about thinking about the customer. To compete with slicker and better invested competition from Dover and the Chunnel, a small, local port needs not to look like an apology rooted in the past but to offer every attraction that will win loyalty. What advantage is there is using old boats, which have not the seating capacity to match their potential load? Presumably affordability but the consequence of protracted loading and unloading times; and making customers uncomfortable is counter to winning hearts and minds. In the case of the return journey, this is exacerbated at Newhaven by the Border Agency, once you have waited 45 minutes to get off the boat, conducting its miniscule examinations of passports in UK. At Calais this is done faster as part of the loading time. Is it beyond our political representatives to negotiate a better arrangement?
The Newhaven-Dieppe crossing does have attractions – Dieppe and the South Downs not least but also an access point to France and South-Eastern England which suits some. This is countered by a 4-hour crossing time, which is negatve enough without the authorities who run it turning this into 6-7 hours. Come on LD Lines and Local Authorities – Newhaven is unattractive enough as a doorway to England without making everyone wait longer than necessary there.
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