In my post of 22 April 2015, I reported that I attempted my 'usual' ride from Guildford to Portsmouth via Hayling Island and the Hayling Billy Trail. However, I was thwarted by the discovery, upon arriving at the landing stage, that the ferry from Hayling Island across the mouth of Langstone Harbour to Eastney had gone bankrupt and closed.
Today, I attended a public meeting on the island to discuss the possible reinstatement of the ferry service. The meeting was very well attended. A company called Baker Trayte Ltd has purchased the ferry itself, and is in the process of overhauling it. Their aim (hope?) is to make the service self funding within 5 years, but in the meantime they will require a public subsidy in some form, and they are preparing a business case to put to the relevant authorities. Speakers from the said authorities gave a mixed message, one saying that they were prepared to look positively on the proposals, another saying it was most unlikely they would get any public subsidy, because the service is relatively expensive for a relatively small number of people, who have alternative means of getting to Portsmouth (principally by road, the long way round across the bridge). Further issues include the cost of repairing and maintaining the pontoons, the necessity of restoring (and funding) the related bus services on both sides, the possibility of operating as a social enterprise, the possibility of tapping environmental funding pots on the basis of the carbon footprint reduction, and possible funding from Sustrans as the ferry forms a critical part of NCN2 along the South Coast.
Overall, I got the impression that in the current climate of austerity in local authority spending, this will be a tough sell. But at least it is positive news that someone is trying. The business case is due to be submitted early February, but I guess it could take eons for a definite decision one way or the other.
Today, I attended a public meeting on the island to discuss the possible reinstatement of the ferry service. The meeting was very well attended. A company called Baker Trayte Ltd has purchased the ferry itself, and is in the process of overhauling it. Their aim (hope?) is to make the service self funding within 5 years, but in the meantime they will require a public subsidy in some form, and they are preparing a business case to put to the relevant authorities. Speakers from the said authorities gave a mixed message, one saying that they were prepared to look positively on the proposals, another saying it was most unlikely they would get any public subsidy, because the service is relatively expensive for a relatively small number of people, who have alternative means of getting to Portsmouth (principally by road, the long way round across the bridge). Further issues include the cost of repairing and maintaining the pontoons, the necessity of restoring (and funding) the related bus services on both sides, the possibility of operating as a social enterprise, the possibility of tapping environmental funding pots on the basis of the carbon footprint reduction, and possible funding from Sustrans as the ferry forms a critical part of NCN2 along the South Coast.
Overall, I got the impression that in the current climate of austerity in local authority spending, this will be a tough sell. But at least it is positive news that someone is trying. The business case is due to be submitted early February, but I guess it could take eons for a definite decision one way or the other.
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