Bid for £48m from 'levelling up' fund to safeguard VITAL Isles of Scilly transport link
Cornwall Council, MPs and Duchy of Cornwall are among those supporting the bid for government money
Last updated 10th Oct 2021
Transport to and from the Isles of Scilly could be transformed if a bid for £48million from the Government’s Levelling Up fund is approved.
With passenger and freight vessels said to be nearing the end of their operational life the Council of the Isles of Scilly has pinned its hopes of providing new boats on the Government funding.
Support for the bid has come from Cornwall Council, St Ives MP Derek Thomas and Duchy of Cornwall as well as a number of other public sector organisations and stakeholders.
If successful the £48m would be used to buy three new vessels and carry out harbour works which will support the new vessels and accessibility requirements.
It is no understatement to say that the vessels are a lifeline link to the islands and the benefits of improving that link will be enormous for all those who live, work and visit the Isles of Scilly.
Lying 28 miles from the mainland the Isles of Scilly are reliant on the boats which bring them goods as well as the visitors which drive the tourism economy.
But the current vessels need to be replaced which would not only safeguard the future of the service but could also provide benefits for residents, businesses and visitors.
The £48m bid which has been submitted to the Levelling Up fund would enable the Council of the Isles of Scilly to work in partnership with the Steamship Company, Tresco Estate, Duchy of Cornwall and Cornwall Council to provide the infrastructure and resilience required.
Chairman of Council, Robert Francis said: "This bid to the Levelling Up Fund is of the utmost importance to the islands as the investment would ensure the preservation and improvement of our lifeline shipping transport for years to come.
"In addition to increasing the resilience and accessibility of our sea links, the improvements set out within the bid will radically enhance the customer experience, prioritising comfort and reducing the journey time considerably.
"I am confident that the success of this bid would enable the islands’ main shipping issues to be fixed and mean that further asks from the community relating to transport can be considered in other workstreams in the future.
"The finalisation of the bid represents a huge amount of collaboration between stakeholders across the islands and I am grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to the stage of submission within such a tight timeframe".
There are currently three vessels which provide services to the Islands and operated by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG).
The vessels – Scillonian III, Gry Maritha, and Lyonnese Lady – are reported to be “nearing the end of their economic lives, and are increasingly out of service causing major disruption to visitors, the community and Scilly’s economy”.
A report from the Council of the Isles of Scilly setting out the need for Levelling Up money states: "If this bid is not successful, it is inevitable that there will be a spiral of economic decline, increasing costs to residents for travel and the essentials of life, and ultimately there being no sustainable transport connectivity to the mainland to support the community on the Isles of Scilly".
Three new replacement vessels will cost £44m and then there is the need for £8m of works to be done to the harbours where they dock.
The new ships would provide a number of benefits, the new passenger vessels would have improved stability and would have faster journey times which would be cut by 20%.
And the new cargo vessel would have passenger carrying capacity and a reduced journey time while it will also be more stable giving passengers “greater comfort”.
The new passenger ship will also have improved accessibility helping those with reduced mobility.
Details of the bid made to the Government indicate the vessels which would be provided if the money is granted.
There would be:
- A 72m passenger/cargo vessel with a 600 passenger capacity, 18 knots, anti-roll fins and hybrid propulsion
- A 45m cargo vessel with increased cargo capacity, crane capable of lifting 8 tonnes, passenger capacity of 12 passengers
- A 17m Inter-Island launch with 50% increase in cargo capacity, improved access to tidal restricted quays and 55% fuel reduction.
Harbour improvements would be made at St Mary’s Quay, New Grimsby Quay and Penzance Harbour to meet the requirements for the new vessels and improve accessibility.
The bid application states: "The project will provide new passenger and freight vessels providing reliable and affordable connectivity between the Isles of Scilly and the mainland.
"This will sustain economic activity on the Isles, encourage new investment in the local economy, and maintain visitor numbers which is essential to supporting the vital tourism industry.
"Residents’ access to health and education facilities on the mainland will be maintained. For the Islands, having a robust, reliable fit for purpose visitor and freight transport system is a necessary precursor for successful businesses on Scilly".
Everyone at the Isles of Scilly will be waiting to hear whether the bid has been successful and this essential lifeline link can be improved and protected for the future.