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Floating Bridge Legal Mediation Could Last "Days, Weeks Or Months"

The councillor in charge of the troubled floating bridge has conceded there is a chance legal mediation may fail, but he says he is 90 per cent confident there will be a successful outcome.

Cllr Phil Jordan says ongoing proceedings over a settlement could last "days, weeks or months".

Vowing to fix the "problem", he once again admitted he is prepared to replace the boat, if it comes to it.

He said he hopes mediation with the architects and boat builder will result in compensation for the council.

But, speaking exclusively to Isle of Wight Radio, Cllr Jordan said he can't put a date on when or if a deal will be reached - or how much money the council might potentially get.

"We are negotiating with other sides. There are offers gone in. There are offers both ways. We've had offers from the other side. We've counter offered. When we left a couple of weeks ago, the gap between our offers was quite wide. 

"It's narrowed and we hope that the other side will come to an agreement with us to prevent the possibility of a potential court case, which would be hugely expensive. Half a million to a million pounds for a high court case."

Last week, figures obtained by Isle of Wight Radio revealed the council had lost around £2million on the vessel in 2021.

It is currently in Cornwall, undergoing it five-yearly Government safety inspection.

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