Opposite parties on the Isle of Wight Council are butting heads over the legal action behind the Floating Bridge.
The authority is taking action against the designers and builders of the vessel in an attempt to get back some of its costs. In a bid to avoid a costly battle at the High Court, the council is intending to enter into mediation with the relevant parties.
This mediation has not been entered into yet, by either administration, despite previous reports, and led to a tense moment at Tuesday night’s corporate scrutiny committee meeting, with both sides disagreeing.
Discussing the report going before cabinet on Thursday, Conservative Cllr Chris Quirk, acting chair of the committee, said the Conservative administration took on the FB6 and tried to make it work. He said:
“It became apparent it was not working, so the previous administration initiated discussions to sort out the dispute. The current administration is continuing that process.”
Responding, Isle of Wight Association of Local Council’s representative and East Cowes Town Councillor, Cameron Palin, said the new Alliance administration started the legal process as it was not, ‘as it should have done’, begun earlier in the year.
Cllr Quirk however said he understood the situation to be ‘in exactly the same place’, with ‘no actual discussions taking place’. He said:
“It is not that the previous administration did nothing; they initiated the process … and in the last five months it has not continued any further.”
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None of the Alliance’s cabinet members present replied to the comments, with echoes of ‘just leave it’ going around the council chamber.
A report prepared by council officers in March this year, before the elections and a change in administration, said mediation was arranged for January but it did not go ahead, however, as one of the parties was unable to attend.
The council, at that time, were awaiting alternative dates.
Speaking after Tuesday’s meeting, Cllr Phil Jordan, cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, confirmed the mediation process had not started, but there was an agreement between the three parties to do so. He said the new administration has instructed a date to be set, by the end of November, and hoped to have the issue finished by the end of the year.
They had briefed the legal team, given them a timeframe and said it must take place by then but mediation had not started, despite what Cllr Quirk attempted to assert.
If they stopped wasting time butting heads and actually working together who knows they may actually achieve something !!!!
It’s like doggie day care ,trying to learn how to socialise….
Just stop the arguments and sort it do what you we’re elected for (alas)……
As for the white elephant ditch it !!!!!!
Money drain …..
Pantomime season started early then. Oh yes it is Oh no it’s not, as they all wish it was behind them
Too late in the day.
Pathetic. Willful incompetence. Lies. Smokescreening, whatever you want to call it. Appalling that any administration is just letting this URGENT waste of taxpayers money just drift along. This floating turd is an island embarrassment and has caused actual financial harm to us the taxpayer and also to business in Cowes/East Cowes and real hassle to commuters trying to get to work etc
Should the council officer who originally signed off this totally inadequate vessel now put his hands up to biting off far more than he could chew. Had this monumental abuse of finances taken place in the private sector, heads would roll. Let’s face facts here. An order was placed to renew what had worked very well for many years. Enhance that design with modern adjustments, but do not try reinventing the wheel when you have zero knowledge of what you have taken on. There would have been designs & agreements needing to be signed off for the construction to start. It’s at this point the officer was out of depth & the mistakes started!
Another year has almost past without action for one reason or another.
It is almost pantomime season, i wouldn’t be surprised if one of the panto shows includes this story, with the audiences joining in with oh no it isn’t repeatedly.
Blah, blah, blah. Oh look, there’s another circle the councilors can walk around in…
https://www.iow.gov.uk/news/Step-forward-for-new-floating-bridge
march 2016
A new floating bridge that will better connect Cowes and East Cowes has been commissioned. The £3.2 million replacement floating bridge is currently being built by Welsh firm Mainstay Marine Solutions Limited.
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Leader of the Council, said: “The new floating bridge will be more efficient than the current chain ferry.
..
stop blaming the previous administration Cllr Quirk – Bacon was re-elected in May of this year as councillor for Brading/St Helens – he is there, get him in the office and get some answers – stop stalling
LOL literally NOTHING that Richard Bacon promised in that release has been delivered, apart from the only thing that wasn’t promised – MASSIVE costs in repairing it and pi**ing our money down the toilet.
Cmon Councillor Bacon, time to be held to account for this – you are back in office so no avoidance this time.
Just scap it they will never recoup the loses.
If the designers and builders are prevaricating in any way then my sentiments are to sue the arse off them, bring them to their boney knees, take their businesses, their pensions, their houses and anything else these cowboys and their misbegotten project hold dear.
Just ring Clifton grade .sorted for the price of a phone call
Stop messing about.
sell it for scrap.
next years council tax, one years supplement of £40 per household will raise 4 million approximately and build something decent.
stop spending money on consultations, legal costs etc etc. Bight the bullet and do something!