Isle Of Wight Council Backs Plan To Replace Troubled Floating Bridge 6

The Isle of Wight Council has voted to move forward with plans to replace Floating Bridge 6, despite officers recommending that the existing chain ferry be modified instead.

At a meeting of the council’s Economy, Regeneration, Transport and Infrastructure Committee (ERTIC), members agreed to test the market for a new vessel.

The committee instructed officers to find a qualified company to outline the technical requirements and invite proposals.

The motion, which passed this evening, sets out that any new vessel should operate at least five return crossings per hour, run from the current location, and prioritise sustainability.

A further report is expected to come before ERTIC on January 22, 2026, when a formal decision could be made on the preferred option — potentially before the May 2026 council elections.

The decision goes against officer advice, which stated that modifying Floating Bridge 6 would provide better value for money and greater economic and social benefit.

Officers also warned that building a new vessel was “not affordable” and unlikely to meet the legal requirements needed to borrow funds for the project.

Councillors Lora Peacey-Wilcox and Cameron Palin had previously branded the recommendation to modify the bridge as a “direct attempt to undermine democracy”.

Cllr Peacey-Wilcox, who sits within the Alliance group that originally backed replacing the vessel, said:

“Floating Bridge Six is not fit for purpose. Keeping it is a calamitous waste of taxpayers’ money. It’s running at a loss of over £1 million a year.”

East Cowes councillor Karl Love also criticised the officers’ recommendation, saying residents “experience the failures of this vessel in real time.”

Under the alternative proposal rejected by councillors tonight, up to £400,000 would have been spent on further modifications and new chains for Floating Bridge 6 — funded through the existing Floating Bridge Settlement Agreement.