'Secret' Floating Bridge Settlement Should Be Made Public, Says Councillor

Secrecy over a financial settlement for the Isle of Wight's floating bridge is "totally unacceptable" and "amounts to a gagging order", a councillor has claimed.

Ward councillor for East Cowes, Karl Love, has said he is "very concerned" financial details of the long-running legal mediation have not been made public by the Isle of Wight Council.

After months of talks, an agreement between the vessel's builders and creators has finally reached a conclusion. It came after a government report ruled parts of the vessel were 'potentially poorly designed' with several 'apparent design inadequacies'.

However, in an agreement between the parties involved, the council said the terms of that settlement would remain confidential.

While an exact figure hasn't been mentioned, Cllr Phil Jordan, who is in charge of the chain ferry, has previously revealed the council was looking for a settlement "worth millions of pounds".

Cllr Karl Love, a staunch critic of Floating Bridge 6, said while he is "delighted" mediation has finished he is "dismayed" by the apparent secrecy.

He told Isle of Wight Radio:

"I am delighted to hear, through the press, that a settlement has been made to conclude the arbitration negotiations. As a representative of the people of East Cowes who elected me I am very concerned that the details are not transparent for all to see?

"I do not agree that confidentiality is necessary as this amounts to a gagging order being placed on the settlement terms and conditions and I find that element totally unacceptable.

"After years of turmoil and impacts for our towns we are entitled to be informed of the settlement details. I am committed to being transparent and no such clause can be imposed on the spending of public monies and especially when so much damage has been done to our communities, businesses and reputations.

"The funding deal cannot be concealed in the financial accounts of local government as this is public funding and will show on the accounts statement."

Cllr Love, who is also the council's member for Public Health, also took a swipe at the way the announcement was handled. He claims to have found out 'through the press', despite being part of the Cabinet.

He said:

"I am dismayed to learn of this settlement having just attended a Cabinet meeting where, not a word was spoken about it."

Councillor Phil Jordan, Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure, has said he would not rule out buying a new vessel completely.

“A new floating bridge is still very much under serious consideration.

"But as many people understand and appreciate, there are a number of factors which must be looked into - such as computer modelling of the river and specific engineering audits to include the current status of the chain pits and depths - before we can finalise any viable solution.

“Whatever we do to make this floating bridge service better, reliable and more frequent, we must do it correctly.

"The Alliance is working as quickly as circumstances and process allow, but, above all, we must get this right. '

"We want to work with professional project management transportation engineering experts to advise the Council professionally, and we must, and want to, use local island engineering expertise where possible.”

Mediation over the vessel first started in March. Days before, Isle of Wight Radio revealed the staggering loss the vessel had accumulated in 2021.

Updated

Leader of the Isle of Wight Council's Conservative Group, Cllr Joe Robertson, has labelled so-called secrecy "completely unacceptable."

In a letter to leader of the council, Lora Peacey-Wilcox, he said:

"I read with serious concern that a settlement has been reached between the Isle of Wight Council and the designers and builders of Floating Bridge 6, but the settlement sum will remain a secret forever. The Council says it will be making no further comment.

"I am sure I speak for the vast majority of Islanders when I say that this is completely unacceptable. The Council is funded by taxpayers' money - our money - and the defective Floating Bridge cost £3.5 million to buy and millions more trying to make it work properly. You cannot cover up what the Council did or did not recover from the builders and designers when it would have been public information if the matter had been allowed to progress to court. A secret back-room deal with no scrutiny or oversight cannot stand in the way of openness and transparency which you say you stand for.

"The Floating Bridge was ordered by a previous Independent-led Council when a number of Councillors you have since re-appointed to your own Cabinet were in charge. Councillor Jonathan Bacon was the Council Leader and you have appointed him as the Cabinet Member responsible for the Council's legal department. Councillor Phil Jordan was also in the Cabinet and you have appointed him as Cabinet Member for Transport. You have therefore appointed Councillors responsible for ordering the failed bridge to the two key Cabinet roles for settling the mediation and keeping the numbers secret.

"You and some of your colleagues spent 4 years in opposition blaming the Conservatives for trying to grapple with the problem inherited from Councillors Bacon, Jordan and others. Is this the Alliance's big solution we have all been waiting for: a cover-up? How do we know that the Council did not settle for £10 because the fault lay with your Cabinet colleagues that prop up your leadership and not with the designers and builders? How will you cover up the settlement money received in the Council's Accounts and Budget or is the settlement so small it can be buried in petty cash? This all looks very grubby.

"I read in the press today that Councillor Jordan is now "seriously considering" buying another Floating Bridge with taxpayers' money. You cannot possibly allow one of the people responsible for this mess to spend more of our money. We don't even know how much the botched purchase of the current bridge has cost the taxpayer because the settlement is being concealed from the public. Councillor Jordan got it wrong once and is now keeping the losses secret - please don't let him have another go.

"This sorry saga that began with the Independents (now Alliance) is far from over and may be about to get worse.

"I look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency."