A multi-million pound cash boost for the new landing for the Shields Ferry has been approved. Fears for the future of the beloved ferry crossing were raised after it emerged that the current landing in North Shields was no longer fit for purpose.
A £14.6 million funding package to build the new facility was agreed last summer. However, on Tuesday, the North East Combined Authority (NECA) was forced to approve another £5.9 million amid rising costs.
The money has been allocated from the £1.85 billion transport investment from central Government. Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the NECA cabinet, Mayor Kim McGuinness said the money would “fully safeguard” the ferry.
She added: “It will mean that we can complete the North Shields ferry landing. That will be transformational for the region and for the economy in that area.
“We’ve all seen the headlines about rising construction costs. We haven’t been immune to that so we have had to put extra funding in to make sure the beloved ferry is protected.
“It is the most fantastic link at the heart of the Fish Quay, which is now a real hub of bars, creative spaces and restaurants and South Shields with its market and the Customs House just a stone’s throw from the landing. We know it will drive economic growth, project jobs and provide opportunities for the Fish Quay and South Shields town centre.”
Image: Kim McGuinness- North East Mayor on Facebook
It is hoped that the new ferry landing will be completed by 2027. Saving the ferry was a key election pledge by Ms McGuinness in her bid to become mayor.
North Tyneside Mayor Karen Clark said she welcomed the overall £1.85 billion investment from Government into the region’s transport. She added: “I’m particularly delighted today to welcome significant investment for the Shields Ferry landing.
“It is a really key element of our local infrastructure and a crucial link between the north and south of the river.”
South Tyneside Council leader Tracey Dixon added: “It is really important we have that connectivity across the region so people from the region can actually access training, access jobs and access attractions right across the borough. This connectivity will most definitely help us.”
In 2020, the estimated cost of a replacement landing stood at just £8.8 million. However, the project has been beset by issues.
Operator Nexus lost a £5.6 million grant from the Government’s Getting Building Fund because it could not meet a “strict” requirement to complete construction by spring 2022. The new ferry landing was later included in a Levelling Up Fund bid from North Tyneside Council for a wider regeneration of North Shields, but the application was unsuccessful.
Nexus estimates last year put the cost at £14.6 million due to the effects of inflation, but that has now increased further. The publicly-owned organisation indicated that the rising bill was because of the “very complex” nature of building a new landing at the Fish Quay, but said it could not confirm the full costs until it had appointed a contractor.
