Lancashire County Council pledges £62k 'at short notice' to support Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry Service
"This additional funding of £62,000 was not budgeted for.”
Extra funding has been secured to support Fleetwood Ferry after the major announcement yesterday that the service has been saved.
Lancashire County Council will boost the service by £62,000 of additional funding to support the ferry during the current financial year, on top of the £57k it has already committed towards the service.
County Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “We recognise the importance of the Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry and previously committed £57,110 a year towards supporting the service. We have met that commitment and paid our contribution for 2026.
"We have carefully considered the request for additional funding and worked through the detail before reaching this decision.
"This additional funding of £62,000 was not budgeted for, and we have identified the money at short notice to protect a service we know is valued locally.”
The future of the Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry has been secured for another 12 months after Lancashire County Council and Wyre Council reached an agreement to continue supporting the service.
The deal means the cross-river ferry will continue operating for another year, with the possibility of moving towards a longer-term contract in 2027.
Reacting to the news, people in Fleetwood were cautiously optimistic that the service will continue beyond next year.
Jenny Parker said: “Thank goodness. I hope a permanent solution can be found to keep the ferry running.”
And Ian Leeds added: “They took their time! But made the right decision.”
Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day
With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe
A smaller vessel has also been purchased which is faster and more capable of operating closer to the sandbanks at lower water levels. This will help provide longer sailing hours and improve the reliability of the service. A new skipper has also been hired.
"This demonstrates our commitment to local public transport, but we also have a responsibility to ensure taxpayers' money is spent wisely and delivers value for money,” added CCllr Goldsworthy.
"Any longer-term funding arrangement will need robust commercial arrangements in place to ensure the service is both viable and affordable.
"We are prepared to support that process and help ensure any future arrangements are put in place in a legal and compliant way."
Background
The agreement follows months of uncertainty surrounding the future of the service. A temporary funding arrangement had been due to end on September 30, meaning the ferry could have stopped operating if a new agreement was not reached.
Earlier this year, attempts to secure a new contract to run the service through to 2029 at the existing level of subsidy attracted no bids.
The situation prompted discussions over whether additional public funding could be justified. Lancashire County Council had indicated it could be willing to pay more towards keeping the ferry running, but wanted to establish that increased support represented value for the public purse.
The ferry has operated under an eight-year agreement between Wyre Council and Wyre Marine Services, signed in 2018. It had initially been hoped that the service could eventually operate commercially, but the impact of the Covid pandemic and rising fuel costs subsequently increased the need for taxpayer support.
The latest agreement provides a further year of operation while work continues towards finding a longer-term future for the ferry.