Talks over the Isle of Wight Council getting its money back from the troubled £3.2 million Floating Bridge 6 have continued and seem to be heading towards a resolution.
Following an unsuccessful meeting in London last month, in which the council walked away empty-handed, the authority has been continuing talks with a mediator.
Floating Bridge No.6 has been plagued with problems, malfunctions and breakdowns since it was installed on the River Medina in 2017 and the authority has been trying to get back some of the money it has spent and lost along the way for the last year.
While the sum could not be disclosed, the council is looking for a multi-million-pound payout from the architects and builders of the chain ferry.
The reason a settlement could not be reached in March, Councillor Phil Jordan, the cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, said at the time was the difference in figures between what the council wanted and what it was being offered.
The difference, Cllr Jordan said, was in the millions.
In an interim update given at the authority’s corporate scrutiny committee on Tuesday, Cllr Jordan said mediation was not limited to 1 day but has been ongoing since March, through a mediator working with all parties.
Cllr Jordan said the gap between the figures had been significantly narrowed but no final agreement had been reached. There was hope, though, that a resolution could be made without having to go to court.
The Cowes to East Cowes crossing was due to be back in action on Wednesday but the return has now been pushed back until 23rd April.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Jordan said the vessel’s return was delayed while the authority awaits another inspection from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which will determine if it can be put back into service.
In the latest series of unfortunate events for the vessel, when it was being put back into place last week following an MCA inspection in Falmouth, the strong tide pushed FB6 against the seawall, shattering windows. The windows are set to be replaced but as a safety matter have been boarded up.
When asked if the broken windows would cause any problems at the upcoming MCA inspection, Cllr Jordan said no.
how can he say it has cost £3.2 million when it has cost us the taxpayer a staggering £7.7million to date. this just goes to show this Council is a joke they keep saying they have to cut services as they have got no money then waste so much money on a floating bridge that don’t work
And it will still not be ‘fit for purpose’ and probably cost us the tax payers even more money.
Not a lot one can add to that other than its OUR money they are talking about.
They have probably upped the offer from tuppence to tuppence halfpenny! Piece of junk should have been scrapped long ago. Any competent council would have put in an underpass by now.
Ooh does that mean each of us mere cash cow’s won’t need to pay any Council Tax for a very long time ???????
Or does it mean they will find other ways to waste our money on ???????,
Or will they add to their fleet of not so green electric cars?????
Or turn their air conditioning higher ??????, or will it pay for their new upgraded computer system ??????????
Or Or Or so many ways to waste our money!!!!!!!!!
tow the pile of crap to the nearest mud bank and dump it, the money these clowns are wasting on it could reduce our council tax bills or improve other services which need money.
It is a boat, it has a motor and has staff that run it… so it will be costing the taxpayer everyday.. just like the Solent ferries… delays, non staff.. chains.. tides… etc etc.. Where as a Tunnel, after completion, would cost next to nothing to maintain. no moving parts.. no staff…. saving tax payers a great deal !! The 18 to 1900’s have past, it is 2022 time to look towards the future !!
People should not using this heap of junk, in the hope the council will be forced todeal with this once an for all.
We are being taking to the cleaners with this bottomless money pit.
About time need and comon sense overcomes bloody greed.
Cole Jordan is obviously using the councils 1 brain cell he can not comment on something he knows nothing about, secondly why have they bothered having it inspected when t should have been cut up for razor blades. And why are we wasting money on those permanent electronic signs saying the floating bridge is not working. Justify and publish the expenditure for all of this. Idiots!!!!
After all these years, our councillors may be getting somewhere??
Will we get a rebate?. In the real world of business, such lassitude would result in the sack.
The Island’s lucky that we now have Cllr Jordan, someone who’s intelligent and knows what he’s talking about. The previous administration hadn’t a clue about the bridge.
This has gone on far to long and to say it’s beyond a joke. Just doesn’t cover it. Floating bridge manufacture a total waste of space. Just like the council to. A total waste of space.
The long this “resolution” goes on the more it is costing the taxpayer, to my recollection the “resolution” is so far the longest in history. Not impressed.
If the Clowncil do manage to get money back will us tax payers get a refund plus lost Interest?