Plans are going ahead to replace the troubled Floating Bridge 6.
A working group has been set up for the project to replace the vessel, and the Isle of Wight Council is currently “on target” with its timescales.
Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, chair of County Hall’s economy, regeneration, transport and infrastructure committee (ERTIC), has said the local authority looks forward to what the “market has to offer” after an update on the replacement process at County Hall.
The Isle of Wight Council decided to push ahead with a plan to find a new Cowes-East Cowes ferry in October last year.
At that time, ERTIC members voted to ‘assess market interest around the supply of a new vessel’ and agreed to instruct officers to ‘procure a qualified company to articulate a high-level requirement specification and invite companies to procure solutions’.
The committee’s recommendations for a new vessel included that it carry out a minimum of five crossings an hour, be at the location of the existing service, transport vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians and has a sustainability focus.
ERTIC also asked for a working party open to committee members, officers and qualified stakeholders to act as a project board for the replacement process.
Michelle Love, service director for highways and community protection at the Isle of Wight Council, told ERTIC County Hall was “on schedule”. She said:
“We have convened the working group. Key members of this committee as well as local councillors from both the town councils are also on that committee.
“We put an advert out for two voluntary independent experts – that was answered and we now have two very qualified gentlemen, marine architects who have joined us on the working party.
“The preliminary market engagement exercise…putting everything into the top of the funnel as the start of the exercise and funnelling it down to what is the art of the possible, will commence in February.”
She added the council would continue to work with members, town councillors, independent experts and technical advisers to bring forward a specification with the requirements.
Isle of Wight Floating Bridge working group members are:
Isle of Wight Councillors
- Cllr Nick Stuart – Chair
- Cllr Phil Jordan
- Cllr Julie Jones-Evans
- Cllr Ian Ward
- Cllr Paul Fuller
- Cllr Chris Quirk
- Cllr Chris Jarman
- Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox
- Cllr Karl Love
Isle of Wight Council Officers
- Colin Rowland (Community Service – Strategic Director)
- Michelle Love (Community Services – Service Director)
- Mark Downer (Parking Floating Bridge RCP Manager • Parking Operations)
- Steve Sandercock (Project and Procurement Lead)
- Ann Barber (Finance Business Partner)
Cowes Town Council
- Cllr Stuart Ellis
- Cllr Lora Peacey Wilcox
East Cowes Town Council
- Cllr Tracey Reardon
- Cllr Karl Love
The identities of the other members of the panel, external to the council, have not yet been revealed.
Cllr Nick Stuart, a Liberal Democrat ERTIC member, said:
“I’m very grateful for all of the people who’ve come forward to join that working group…I’m also grateful for the people outside, other councillors and the officers.
“I’ve spoken to local people who also have an enormous amount of experience…I would hope that we will be able to go out in February as expected. It certainly looks like it’s being pushed through really quickly.”
Does anyone on that list have any suitable qualifications to be there. As we are talking about a fairly unique marine vessel operating in a particularly difficult environment we surely need specialists with the right experience.
Thank you so much for the great job the floating bridge does. It saves me hours every week as well as lots of money commuting. It also helps with road congestion. I would only change one thing to add or make the shelters bigger for when it rains. Lots of people use it everyday. The main people that complain probably never use it.
I agree
Hopefully they will build the new Chuggy on the island !!
Not if you it working.
Lol
Thank you so much for the great job the floating bridge does. It saves me hours every week as well as lots of money commuting. It also helps with road congestion. I would only change one thing to add or make the shelters bigger for when it rains. Lots of people use it everyday. The main people that complain probably never use it.
Total waste of money but then it’s the Isle of Wight.
Even a foot bridge would have been more exceptable as a vehicle bridge is WAY beyond the intelligence of this council. Just keep throwing money away you useless lot.
This Island is now a shambles
Anything is better than this heap.
Note to Working Group Members: Please make sure the new floating bridge has got a warranty!
Ye see how long this takes ..tune in 5 years time..see where were at.
Council has organised a large group for the Bridge replacement.
Will they also address the total chaos on our roads by never ending roadworks. A far greater issue than the floating bridge.
It is doomed Jordan is in the group he has no idea what he is doing