Over £60,000 in Isle of Wight Council spending on consultants for advice on the Floating Bridge’s future has been criticised as “totally unnecessary” and “crazy”.
A Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed £60,257.08 was spent on commissioning multinational consulting group SYSTRA, exposing continued divisions over the matter at County Hall.
SYSTRA was appointed through a ‘competitive and transparent’ procurement process to explore ‘all viable options, engaging with industry experts and ensuring value for public money’ regarding the future of the East Cowes to Cowes chain ferry, a council spokesperson said today (Thursday).
In March last year, an Alliance group cabinet decided to replace the troubled vessel and commission a River Medina Crossing Strategy with an updated business case, options appraisal, output specification and procurement strategy.
The council has said this is to ensure any purchase ensures ‘best value’ for council taxpayers.
Its Floating Bridge public consultation, which put forward 3 options including a new vessel, modifying the existing ferry and/or the operational environment or simply maintaining and operating it, finished on 22nd August.
But when approached for comment on the cost of SYSTRA’s commissioning, leader of the council and the Alliance group Phil Jordan said he was:
“Disappointed with how long it has taken to progress this matter efficiently and equally dismayed at the costs being incurred.”
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He told the press:
“I would have hoped that the cabinet decision taken a long time ago to replace this vessel would have been enacted without the added complications of undertaking a new review of the crossing and service.”
Meanwhile East Cowes county councillor Karl Love said:
“This is a totally unnecessary cost as it was clearly stated at the March 2024 cabinet meeting, by the leaders of the council, that the Floating Bridge was going to be replaced, not modified.
I don’t see any progress being made to that end in replacing it. We could have built a new vessel by now or been close to its introduction.
The consultation is a pointless one lacking in substance and constructive useful questions… a step backwards to a time prior to a decision made to replace Floating Bridge Six.
This is crazy, throwing our settlement funding away in this manner.”
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said it understands there is a “strong public interest” in the future of the Floating Bridge.
They said:
“As with any major infrastructure investment, the council is required to follow a formal process set out in government guidance. This was clearly outlined in the cabinet report from March 2024 and includes exploring all viable options, engaging with industry experts, and ensuring value for public money. That process is ongoing.
The council appointed SYSTRA through a competitive and transparent procurement process to lead this work.
As part of their bid, they included Beckett Rankine, a respected marine engineering consultancy, to provide the necessary specialist expertise.”
The spokesperson said this is a “normal and appropriate approach” for a “project of this complexity” and that it was legally required to procure in line with the Procurement Act 2023, “treating all suppliers fairly”.
They added that “rushing ahead” without “following due process” would “risk delays, legal challenges and wasted public funds”.
Get ready for another council tax increase.
Why not take the money from the councils
extortionate pension pot.
I hate to be negative. I re really want to trust in democracy.. but what I see on the island is utter collapse of local accountability. Both IoW Council and Island Roads are not fit for purpose.
The missus of funds between council officers and ex-council officers are just one example of a long outstanding audit that needs to take place. £60,000 for a report? No report was necessary. Due diligence? Don’t offend my intelligence .
Being a transparent process and being paid by public funds, let’s see that report here, published for all to see.
We didn’t need a report, as mentioned in the article, we need a new means of crossing the Medina River.
Edgar-of-9, the 68 page SYSTRA report is easily available online if you search on “Google” with “Isle of Wight Council SYSTRA report”. It formed the basis of the 2025“Public Consultation” documents. This £60k plus report followed the previous Council commissioned report by 3S Business Review Ltd in November 2023, (cost unknown), which found the Floating Bridge not fit for purpose and when debated by the Council meeting in March 2024 they made the decision that the Floating Bridge No. 6 would have to be replaced. All documents, the 17 page 3S presentation and Council meeting agendas are also available by searching online.
It is acknowledged that the Council is legally required to procure in line with the Procurement Act 2023, but this £60k commissioning of SYSTRA should have been to carry forward the Council decision in March 2024 to procure a new Floating Bridge, not take a retrograde step in producing a “public consultation” on other options such as modifying the existing craft or simply to do nothing. It appears the Council did not give SYSTRA a clear remit that the decision to replace had already been made and now get on with the procurement process exploring all options for the design, construction and operation of the new craft. A complete waste of money and more importantly, yet more delays to achieving the new craft. We now await the Council meeting in October to give their spin on the “public consultation” and make yet another decision.
Don’t need any consultation, a successful design is out there, just duplicate it. The old Floating bridge is still in Gosport, go and copy it.
They should have never got rid of the old one,
they are good at spending tax payers money on
rubbish!