The Isle of Wight Council has been accused of “undermining democracy” after a new report proposed keeping the current Floating Bridge, despite a previous decision to replace it.
A new recommendation from County Hall officers to retain and modify Floating Bridge Six, at a further expense of £400,000, has been condemned as a “calamitous waste of public money”.
Councillors Lora Peacey-Wilcox and Cameron Palin labelled the move a “direct attempt” to “undermine democracy” and pointed to an Alliance group cabinet’s March 2024 decision to replace the vessel.
An economy, regeneration, transport and infrastructure committee (ERTIC) report says a new chain ferry does not ‘represent value for money’ compared to other options and ‘is not affordable’.
It follows the Isle of Wight Council’s public consultation on the future of the Floating Bridge which put forward three options: a new vessel, modifying the existing vessel and/or the operational environment or maintaining and operating Floating Bridge Six. The Alliance cabinet’s 2024 decision also included an agreement to ‘commission a River Medina Crossing Strategy with an updated business case, options appraisal, output specification and procurement strategy’, County Hall has said.
This was so that any purchase ‘could ensure best value for council tax-payers’.
ERTIC members will consider the report, which includes an Options Assessment Report from consultants SYSTRA, at a meeting next Thursday (October 16).
It says:
“The conclusion is that in making a case for change, the modification of the existing Floating Bridge Six (Option Two) would provide for a higher value for money outcome and is therefore the preferred option from the perspective of maximising the economic and social benefits of the crossing.
“This is primarily due to the significantly higher capital cost of the new vessel option when compared to the modify option.”
The report’s recommendation to ERTIC includes recommending to the Policy, Finance and Resources Committee an allocation of up to £400,000 to carry out ‘further limited modifications’ to Floating Bridge Six for ‘additional chains’.
Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox, representative for Cowes Medina at County Hall, said:
“Floating Bridge Six is running at a loss of over £1 million a year — thanks to endless repairs, a yard full of spares, spiralling maintenance costs, and a total collapse of public confidence in the service.
“As former council leader, I made sure we secured mediation funds and ring-fenced them for a future bridge — not to be frittered away on consultations that tell us what we already know.
“Floating Bridge Six is not fit for purpose. Keeping it is a calamitous waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Cllr Cameron Palin, who represents Osborne ward on East Cowes Town Council, said he was “absolutely disgusted” by the report.
He told the press:
“Despite a democratic cabinet vote, expert advice from world-renowned engineering consultants 3s, and clear feedback from the local community, officers are trying to keep Floating Bridge Six afloat.
“Throughout this process, council staff have put up one obstacle after another to stop councillors from delivering a new floating bridge.
“Enough is enough – our community deserves better, and we deserve to be listened to. We need a new bridge.”
The Isle of Wight Council has been approached for comment.
Time to spend all that money that Clr Jordan won. After successfully suing the builder .
The Isle of Wight Council voted in March 2024 to replace the not fit for purpose Floating Bridge No.6 after years of failure and public disgust at the continued waste of millions of pounds in attempting to get the craft operational. Then we had the recent “Public Consultation” in August 2025 introducing a new option to modify the craft, with Public again asked their views and cast their votes further delaying the new craft. The Public Consultation results being presented to the Council for voting next week on October 16th, clearly states that 64% of the Public voted for a new craft and only 31% wanted the existing craft modified, with 55% opposed or strongly opposed to any modifications. So why now the recommendation completely at odds to the result when they Public were consulted ? What a pointless exercise – in a deliberate attempt to fool the Public and at yet more cost at over £60,000.
The very report they commissioned from SYSTRA on page 43 of their costly report, states in the Summary that any modifications involving extra chains “may not be sufficiently effective” to overcome the tidal issues and then states if that fails – which it certainly will, plus add further time to completing any crossing – they suggest then consider fitting side thrusters ! Again adding yet more outside consultants, high costs and weight to an already overweight craft.
This incompetent Council should be ashamed of themselves and the embarrassment they bring to the Island.
“In the 1st instance why was the ferrie a failure!” The council should be looking at the body of people who gave the OK on this project to replace ferries that had been running with out to many brake downs in my lifetime (76 years)…It seems to me to be a lack of knowledge and commitment or under standing what is needed to get the job done.
And are those people still in office today?.
Think on people.
Too many numpties who don’t know what they
are doing is the problem.
They should have never got rid of the old Floating Bridge.
Uninformed people making uninformed decisions. Were they told the FB is now nearly 100% reliable. Far more reliable than the cross Solent ferries. So, knowing that why would you spend millions to buy another unproven craft ?? Perhaps they want to send years modifying a new one.
Do away with it. It has cost enough for little purpose since it is so unreliable