The chair of the Isle of Wight Council has said he is “absolutely furious” about County Hall’s handling of the Cowes floating bridge replacement process.
Cllr Karl Love, representative for East Cowes, spoke out following recent news of a council-led, Spring 2025 “engagement process” with the “public and key stakeholders” on replacing the troubled Floating Bridge Six.
He said:
“Why they are consulting I have no idea, just get on and build it, for God’s sake.
“We haven’t said there should be a consultation as an East Cowes Town Council.
“I am sick to death of them trying to micromanage and drag this process out and I don’t know for what reason, other than they don’t want to replace it.
“What we need is for them to go directly to the shipbuilders, of which there are many in East Cowes – at least three that could build this – and ask them to put bits together to build something that is sustainable and can keep the whole industry going.
“What message is given out to the rest of the country and the rest of the world if we don’t have a floating bridge – if we don’t have this connection? We need to be open for business.”
County Hall’s cabinet unanimously agreed to replace the £3.5 million Floating Bridge Six in March this year.
The beleaguered vessel was first introduced to the River Medina in May 2017.
Cllr Jordan said back in March the decision “has been a long time coming”.
He added the agreement reached was the beginning of a process and that options would be explored which the council would refer to prior to the purchase of a new floating bridge.
Floating Bridge Six has been out of service on multiple occasions since the March decision.
On Wednesday, November 20, the bridge was pulled from service between 9am and 6pm for maintenance purposes.
It was also suspended at the beginning of last month due to a cable replacement resulting from what the council called ‘usual operational wear and tear’.
Cllr Love said Floating Bridge Six’s predecessor ‘never had anything like’ the level of maintenance currently required which ‘should not be needed’.
He told of how his frustrations with the replacement process led him to walk out of an East Cowes Town Council meeting last month with Colin Rowland, County Hall’s strategic director of community services, and Cllr Jordan.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council said previously:
“The Isle of Wight Council is currently finalising requirements to appoint specialist advisors for this project.
“Together they will review the previous business case, update it where necessary and carry out a refresh of the options appraisal.
“Work is being carried out through the council’s standard procurement process and we are looking to appoint the successful bidders mid-February 2025.
“This is just the beginning of the project and there will be an engagement process with the public and key stakeholders in the spring of 2025.
“This process is to ensure people’s views are represented which will form an integral part of the project.”
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