Ferry service to resume after urgent repair plans

Plymouth City Council said the Cremyll Ferry service would resume on 28 October

Urgent repairs to fix a ferry slipway are due to take place on Monday, the council has said.

Plymouth City Council said its surveyors identified cracks on the Mount Edgcumbe slipway which needed to be repaired.

The Cremyll Ferry service has been suspended since Wednesday as a result, and the council has confirmed the service will resume on Saturday.

The council said the works included removing and replacing loose stone work, reinforcing the propping of the concrete slab and filling in any voids or gaps.

Weather dependent

The ferry connects Cremyll in Cornwall with Stonehouse in Plymouth, crossing the river Tamar.

The authority said: "It is hoped that the repairs will take around eight weeks, but this will be dependent on the weather."

It said the ferry service would operate from the beach next to the slipway at low tide rather than the slipway.

"Boats have been adapted to enable passengers to get on and off from the beach. Users are encouraged to take care when getting on and off the ferry," the council added.

Cabinet member with responsibility for facilities management Chris Penberthy said the situation became urgent earlier in the week when the council found "further damage" due to recent storms.

He said: “We closed the slipway straight away and worked with the ferry operator to put together an alternative plan to enable them to continue to operate.

“We will work as fast as we can to repair the slipway, but obviously it is winter and the weather might impact how long it will take.”

Plymouth Boat Trips, which runs the ferry service, said signs would be in place and crew and staff would be "on hand to ensure the service runs as smoothly as possible".

It added: "Plymouth Boat Trips apologises for any inconvenience, we are working to ensure the continuation of the service with as little disruption as possible."