A decisive vote on the future of the Isle of Wight’s Floating Bridge is expected at County Hall on Thursday (16th October 2025).
Members of the Economy, Regeneration, Transport and Infrastructure Committee (ERTIC) will decide whether to go ahead with a recommendation to modify rather than replace the vessel.
Peacey-Wilcox: A calamitous waste of taxpayers’ money
County Hall’s proposal was previously condemned by councillors Lora Peacey-Wilcox and Cameron Palin as a “direct attempt” to “undermine democracy”.
They flagged a March 2024 Alliance group cabinet decision to replace the chain ferry and Councillor Peacey-Wilcox, herself part of the Alliance, said it is “running at a loss of over £1 million a year”.
She told the press,
“Floating Bridge Six is not fit for purpose. Keeping it is a calamitous waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Love: “Stunned”
Independent East Cowes county councillor Karl Love said he was “stunned” by the recommendation.
“We residents experience the failures of this vessel in real time.
“I will be asking some very testing questions at the meeting and made my feelings known in a councillor briefing.”
“Maximising the economic and social benefits”
An ERTIC report due to be presented on Thursday said a modification of Floating Bridge Six would lead to a ‘higher value for money outcome’ and is the ‘preferred option from the perspective of maximising the economic and social benefits of the crossing’.
Its recommendation to the committee reads,
“Notes that Option one (new vessel) does not represent value for money relative to the other options, is not affordable and would not satisfy the legislative requirements to enable borrowing to be taken for the capital costs of purchase for a new vessel.
“Agrees to recommend to policy, finance and resources committee to allocate up to a maximum of £400,000 to undertake further limited modifications to the current Floating Bridge Six for additional chains and funded from the Floating Bridge Settlement Agreement.
“Subject to approval of funding by the policy, finance and resources committee, give approval to proceed to procurement for necessary works to undertake additional chain modifications only.
“Notes and acknowledges the views expressed from the public engagement alongside the best-case findings of the economic and financial assessment outputs.”
ERTIC will meet at County Hall at 5pm on Thursday. The public are welcome to attend in person ot watch online via the link in the Agenda.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
