Wyre Marine Services 'informs the council of investment plans' in Fleetwood ferry latest
Wyre Marine Services firms up its long-term plans for the futrure of Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry
The operator of Fleetwood to Knott End ferry has described discussions with Wyre Council and Lancashire County Council as ‘constructive’ and ‘positive’ following the announcement of a temporary retrieve in terminating the service.
Wyre Marine Services said both parties had agreed the service should continue for the benefit of the public while negotiations move forward.
In a statement on social media, the company said: “Talks have been positive, and discussions are now underway towards agreeing a new three-year contract.”
The operator apologised for a lack of communication earlier in the week, explaining it had been waiting until after the meeting yesterday to ’have all the facts and a clear plan in place’ before commenting publicly.
The firm also reassured it staff that ‘whatever the outcome of the meeting, staff would always have a role in our company’.
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Wyre Marine Services, which has operated the service for the last 25 years, highlighted its long-term financial plans saying ‘we have informed the council of our investment plans for the new contract which we are currently in talks for.’
“We have invested a lot of our company’s money into the service for the local people and we were happy doing so for the people of Fleetwood and Knott End.”
Addressing online speculation, the company said there were ‘many more factors’ affecting the service that hadn’t been mentioned with rumours untrue. It clarified that recent changes to passenger numbers were not due to council decisions but instead linked to updated vessel coding and certification requirements.
Under previous rules, the passenger capacity was directed by the vessel master’s specific certifcation. That meant that it was difficult to find locally based individuals with the specific qualification - particularly following the retirement of the master and manager.
The new vessel coding now means that requirements have widened the pool of eligible crew, which the company says will improve reliability and allow time to train new personnel.
Although the number of passengers per journey will be lower, the company will operate continuous crossings once the maximum passengers have been reached.
They said: “We will be providing a better service to the public where we can run more than every half hour as necessary.”
The company also confirmed ongoing investment in dredging facilities. Under the current MMO licence, they were pohibited from disposing of dredged materials at sea. It confirmed they has invested and designed a new water injection dredger that can work under the current licence. Regular dredging means they can operated the service for longer hours.
They concluded by thanking the public for its support and urged people to use the service.
“While we greatly appreciate the fundraising efforts, the best way to support your local ferry is to use the service and, in doing so, support local businesses in both Knott End and Fleetwood.”