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Hovercraft firms keen to link North West and North Wales

Two rival operators are bidding to run hovercraft services between the Wirral and North Wales .

Hoverlink Ltd and Airspeed Hovercraft Solutions Ltd are both in negotiations with Denbighshire County Council to operate the crossings, which could usher in a new era by cutting journey times significantly - and boosting the region’s economy.

The world’s first commercial passenger hovercraft service ran briefly from Rhyl to Wallasey in 1962, but ended when a storm hit the hovercraft while it was moored, damaging its lifting engines.

Hoverlink Ltd, based in the Wirral, say their service could take 200,000 visitors to North Wales and Blackpool every year and aim to have it operational from 2015.

The scheme, understood to be supported by Wirral Council’s regeneration department, would run from New Brighton. With start-up costs around £1m, the project could create 100 permanent jobs.

Simon Clitheroe, a director of Hoverlink Ltd, has applied to Denbighshire and Wirral councils for a 12-month draft licence to be allowed to land in Rhyl and New Brighton up to 16 times a day. He may also apply to Conwy County Borough Council to land at Llandudno in the future.

He said: “I was born in Wirral, work in Wirral and believe the borough is the ideal location for this development.

“We believe the market conditions are right to provide a valuable fast link not only to Wales but also Blackpool, Southport and Liverpool. Wirral has been identified as a major terminal hub and will become an integral part of our service”.

But news of Hoverlink’s draft licence emerged on the same day that Hertfordshire-based Airspeed Hovercraft Solutions Ltd announced it had been granted a permit to operate a service from Wirral to North Wales. AHSL’s licence has been in discussions with Vale of Clywd MP Chris Ruane.

A statement issued by AHSL said: “2012 saw the fiftieth anniversary of the launch of the world’s first commercial hovercraft passenger service between Leasowe on the Wirral Peninsula and Rhyl on the North Wales Coast. Tickets were £1 each way!

“One of our founding directors was a schoolboy at that time and duly purchased a ticket and took his place for a return flight. Memories, it would appear, certainly do linger”.

Mr Clitheroe seems undaunted by the development. He said: “As far as I’m aware, AHSL’s service will be smaller, in comparison to ours, because it will only run from Wirral to Rhyl, whereas ours will take customers further, to Blackpool.

“There is an issue of two hovercraft services operating from the same place. Obviously, you can’t have two hovercrafts arriving at the same time, so we want to ensure the services operate safely.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .