Cairnryan harbour rates dispute settled

Stena Line has reached an agreement over the rateable value set at Cairnryan

A settlement has been agreed following an appeal by ferry operator Stena Line against a £1.25m rateable value set on its Cairnryan port.

The case was originally scheduled to be heard in July but was delayed by several months.

The Lands Tribunal for Scotland (LTS) said that negotiations between Stena Line and the Assessor for Dumfries and Galloway had achieved an agreement.

It confirmed that as a result the appeal had been withdrawn.

Stena Line moved its operations to Cairnryan in 2011 and had claimed the new valuation was "effectively double" what it had paid at its old site in Stranraer.

The ferry company had suggested that the costs could have compromised future investment.

However, a spokesperson confirmed it had now reached a settlement meaning there was no need for the LTS to determine the issue.