The Leader of the Isle of Wight Council has said that the Island needs an operational floating bridge which stops wasting Islanders’ money. At a Cabinet meeting last night (Thursday), it was agreed that the local authority will explore replacing the troubled Floating Bridge 6 with a new vessel. The necessary technical groundwork will now get underway as the initial step in designing, procuring and delivering a new Floating Bridge – just like it did over 10 years ago. Speaking about the decision, Councillor Phil Jordan has said:
“We need an operational floating bridge that stops wasting Islanders money on failed fixes and increased costs, not only to help the local community and businesses, but also to provide relief to the Island’s road network. “We don’t want to waste any more Council money on finding out information we already know. Replacing the floating bridge with one that works is now our clear stated intention. “A lot of errors were made in early stages of procurement of the last floating bridge. So we can get on with matters, it is important that technical groundwork is undertaken to inform the performance and overall reliability of a new vessel, although, to be clear, the Council is not yet at the stage to vote on any financial models.”
Councillor Jordan was a member of the Island Independents administration when Floating Bridge 6 was being drawn up in 2014 and formally commissioned in 2016. The Independents then effectively walked away from County Hall in January 2017, with the Conservatives coming to power in the May 2017 local elections – the same month that Floating Bridge 6 entered service. Work carried out in respect of the Floating Bridge over recent years will be used to inform the next stages and will help ensure the necessary work can be streamlined and carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible. This includes work previously undertaken by the consultants 3S, who have supported the recent review and have extensive knowledge of the process and background. 3S positively support the stated aim and project to replace the Floating Bridge. Councillor Jordan concludes:
“This decision has been a long time coming and much work has been necessary to get us to this point. There is still much to do but this is a major step. “We are pleased that as an Administration the Alliance have been able to fulfil our promise to do this for the benefit of our residents and the economy of the Island.”
Oh no Cllr Jordan is getting involved .. so procrastination will be evident
Build a bridge further down the river which would also help with the coppins bridge traffic.
Then build a bridge FFS
Hopefully this time the council will allow the ship builder permission to survey the site first and design the new vessel based on proper plan’s with schematics. The failure of FB6 rests with the council leaders, but they will never admit the true story behind the failure of the vessels unsuccessful premiership.
Rather than pay for design costs use the blueprint of floating bridge 5 known to work operationally well and copy that design to keep cost down.
Wasted more than enough already haven’t they? His words are full of empty promises and about as reassuring as a chocolate fireguard.
Then don’t. There’s a saying ‘idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality the costs become prohibitive’. We’re happy with the jenny thanks. A few more would be ideal. Then instead of the thousands in future payments to somebody’s dividend pot we could pay a couple of people who actually live here a decent wage from the proceeds. We can do repairs here. We can do rebuilds here.
So, can we be told exactly who was involved in the procurement of the last one, and guaranteed that none of those people will have any say in the new decision?
No? I thought not.
“Councillor Jordan was a member of the Island Independents administration when Floating Bridge 6 was being drawn up in 2014 and formally commissioned in 2016. The Independents then effectively walked away from County Hall in January 2017, with the Conservatives coming to power in the May 2017 local elections – the same month that Floating Bridge 6 entered service.” is the key paragraph here.
Jordan and his fellow numpty “Independents” were responsible for this fiasco, but accept no responsibility for it.
Where can we turn for some sensible people? Tories? Not after what Bunter Johnson has put us through with COVID and Net Zero! Labour? Fat chance! Similarly Green and Lib Dumb. May 2025 will be another nail in the Island coffin.
In fact, the outgoing Tories ordered the new FB, this tying the incoming Independents’ hands. That was very clear at the time.
This decision naturally has nothing to do with looming elections does it?!
Seem to recall we have REPEATEDLY been assured of its service and that it’s reliability has always been in the high ninety-percents, yet… when a settlement was reached, the so-claimed compensation amount was kept secret from the Electorate (Council Tax PAYERS).
Speechless really, what a shambles. My Son uses this when he wants to gamble getting to work in West Cowes from Ryde, and so often (as no signs saying any different) arrives and finds “not running” so back all the way around the usual route, and consequently late for work by half an hour. Abysmal/pathetic service.
And as for the landing in different tide heights, and the complications that posed, it is amazing, considering the money outlaid, that nobody allowed for, or understood the discrepancy 🙁
Well, at least Jordon admits the Council has been wasting our money, I wonder what else our money has been wasted on??
Seemingly everyone knew, other than the Council, FB6 was a complete failure right from the start, but hay ho when did this Council ever listen to our views and opinions.
Wow took a while and a few quid for you to figure it out!!! Stop wasting our money you numpty!!! About time us taxpayers got something bag for all of our money we have been robbed!!! Oh hang on you have by putting up our council tax again!!!
PATHETIC, as usual another waste of public money funny as how we the public are not allowed to know the sales and true cost of the failed num 6
What a lying hypocrite Jordan is. He is the one who has been saying for years that the floating bridge gave a good service and that it was fine. Now he admits that they have been wasting OUR money on it all along. Please people, don’t vote him back in next time, get him out!
If an overloaded rubber dingy can cross the channel why can’t a ferry be designed to cross 153 meters of the river medina.
Something to do with the depth of water?
Would a Dutch style lifting bridge be an option?
Correct me if i am wrong but wasn’t our friend Jordan the one who told us the thing was 90% efficient and that anyone who dared criticise either it or him was nothing more than a whining troublemaker, not at all surprised he was one the original clowns, no doubt ably supported by ward and bacon, who foisted this thing on us.
I think Cllr Jordan ought to jump ship and become the CEO of either Red Funnel or Wightlink.
Well at least the so called lead had grown a pair and admitted to wasting our money
Just make sure it has the same specifications as floating bridge no.5
7.7 million spent and nothing to show for it apart from a bit of scrap
“The Alliance have been able to fulfil our promise to do this for the benefit of our residents and the economy of the Island.”
Really?
Residents and visitors alike have been telling the Council for years that the replacement was never fit for purpose, and, in some cases, they pointed out what was wrong. Yet, The Alliance spent taxpayers’ money to engage with an external surveyor to confirm this. Wasn’t the recent fee £50K? My Great Niece could have told them that.
Yes, humans make mistakes, but this jelly pot fiasco need not have gone on for so long had representatives from the Council listened to the experts: Islanders.
So you have been wasting our money up to this point then? We all knew that anyway. This is a typical IWC stance. Hurt the island and it’s population, then when the game is up pretend to give a feck. The island has now been hijacked by the worst set of councillors we’ve ever had. Hardly a single good one anywhere. Get rid of the entire council and put some people with our best interests at heart. This has been dragging on for years now, and we still don’t know how much money has been lost.
Errors made!
There was a document published, about 130 pages defining every factor, or so it seemed.
Who overode the simple scientific fact that it had to cope with a specified current and wind strengths?
That is apart from making parts able to survive without breaking or wearing out.
Who is going to do it right this time?
Just put a Swing Bridge or some such thing in place.
Move with the times.
We all just don’t have time for this crap anymore.
wait wait wait.
It was unfit for purpose, what happened to legal case?
Notice we, the tax payers, have not been asked if a floating bridge is the desired solution. We need a river crossing. There are choices, other than this. We ought to be part of a reappraisal of what is most appropriate to the 21st century, but Mr J appears to believe more of the same is the only solution. Amazing what you can do with other people’s money.
We don’t want to waste any more Council money what a joke this prat is you were told by the Sandbanks Ferry company not to buy anything from that Welsh company they are unreliable sandbanks waited 18 months for a New Ferry and then they had problem after problem with it did you listen to them no as you don’t listen to a taxpayers on the island the old F/B worked ok could we afford a new floating bridge no how much has the new one cost you won’t tell us we can’t even look on Freedom of Information Act because you have blocked it this entire Council should be sacked and charged with fraud
Sorry mate you are 2 late !!!!!
We the cash cow’s said you and Bacon had agreed to this waste of space….
And now you are pretending you didn’t!!!!!!!
Total plonkers and liar’s ……
Take a lie detector test ?????
Oh no you can’t because you know you would fail …..
Tell us how much you got in compensation?????
Oh no you won’t because it’s a massive cover up …..
We seriously are fed up with all you numptys…
I won’t be voting for any pillocks ….end of ….
Phil Jordon. what a joke you are. A few weeks ago you were saying there was nothing wrong with this FB. The council dont want to waste any more money on it he states. That horse has long bolted. Who have the islands council covered up for in this debacle. Is it the the result of incompetence? Or., I better not say it
Proceed with caution
It’s not the boat that was wasting our money, it was the incompetent morons who bought something that was designed to be in use somewhere else, but kept insisting it was right to spend it on something the rest of the island could see, and told them time and time again, it was never going to work.
It was the last fully-Tory administration that set in train buying the current FB version just as they were leaving. And the incoming Independents had no say in it, and just had to do what they could to manage the ensuing disaster. If Cllr Jordan can financially manage getting a model that works I’m certain he will make a bl…y good job of it.
Absolute garbage. The previous Tory council had nothing whatsoever to do with procuring this piece of junk, it was the independent council. The alliance then carried on throwing money at it when it should have been sent back to the makers. As for Jordan, he couldn’t organise a you know what in a brewery, although he would no doubt manage to drink a lot.
Sorry what planet are you on ??????
Jordan and Bacon were involved in this money gobbling disaster …..
I for one would rather have services re instated ….
Than this waste of space ….
They all blame the previous councillors, but a lot of them were the previous councillors !!!!!
Total waste of space the lot of them……
Says the guy who wasted millions on the Ryde Interchange.
Vehicles now turn into George Street from the
Esplanade even though there is a “NO” right turn SIGN
and obviously Dummy Camera’s above the traffic lights
Cllr Jordan it is now DANGEROUS for pedestrians due to
Vehicles breaking the law on this LAWLESS Island!
Sort it out. F.F.S
What a load of tosh! This fix! was obviously needed right from the start. What you should be reflecting on is the huge amount of money you have already wasted. Shame on you, and shame on us for putting up with incompetence. I would make sure that none of the parties involved in the last mess are able to make a penny from this ever again. Get some experienced proven engineers in and let us know just how much it will cost before you spend our money.
Meanwhile the old one is still at Gosport, just waiting to be brought back as a stopgap.
Omg. Bit late now . Should have closed the gate before the horse bolted . The money wasted on something that worked perfectly well and at the taxpayers expense . The only thing he’s good at is organising a piss up in the brewery
Forget the floating bridge, just build a bloody bridge across the Medina.
“WE DON’T WANT YOU TO WASTE ANYMORE MONEY”
Bridges similar to Yarmouth’s over the Medina is what is required, it will help with traffic levels on the Fairlee road and coppins bridge, reduce pollution, gives the opportunity to have growth areas near or around the areas for shops and housing, better traffic management and you could get government grants or even make it a toll.
Stop being so backwards and instead of wasting hundreds of thousands on studies for the next failed floating disaster, look at what other Council’s do. There is other options out there.
”We don’t want to waste any more money”. Is that your money or our money? Seeing as it is our money that is paid to you to waste, it should state ”We don’t want to waste any more of YOUR money”,and then make cuts so we end up with crap services, because it’s all been blown on waste of space products.
What a joke more money that we’ve got to fork out of council tax money this island has become a laughing stock
A career politician’s spin as usual ” We are pleased to…”. It should read. “We recognise that huge mistakes were made when FB6 was procured and that CT payers have been forced to pay for work arounds and cover ups for the sake of political face over the years. Those involved in the debacle, myself included, will be standing down to give our constituents the chance to decide if we should be allowed to represent them in future”.
Why not a tunnel….forget boats.. or bridges..
Why don’t they go and check out the King Harry Ferry in Cornwall, it crosses a much wider river, crosses in winds over 100mph, stronger tidal flows, runs using chains, has never needed a “pusher” boat and i was told by the skipper it has never broken down in the 20 years he has been working on it, it has a once yearly stoppage for maintenance and is totally reliable
Are we sure we still need a chain ferry? It made sense in 1859 when taking your horse and cart round via Newport took a long time, but times have changed!
Why the feck do they NEVER listen to the electorate?
See how he smiles when he lies !