Funding for ferry delayed by council absences

Nearly £5m has been found for the ferry service but the money has yet to be signed off

Funding to secure the future of a ferry service has been delayed after a crucial meeting was pushed back.

The North East Joint Transport Committee was expected to sign off £4.58m for a new landing for the Shields Ferry on Tuesday.

But a decision could not be made because a number of councillors were absent.

A new meeting will now be held before the North East mayoral election on 2 May.

The existing jetty in North Shields is expected to become unstable as early as next year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Plans have been in the works to relocate the terminal to a site near North Shields Fish Quay, but the project has suffered several setbacks.

Costs have since spiralled to almost £15m due to inflation.

The remainder of the £15m is expected to be given to the project later this year, following the election of the new North East mayor next month.

Regional transport chiefs have asked the government to "accelerate" £8.1m of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) that will be given to the incoming mayor.

The CRSTS is widely expected to be approved.

The ferry's operator Nexus plans to pay £1.3m towards the project, while the North East Local Enterprise Partnership will invest almost £300,000.