New £14.6m landing for 'historic and vital' ferry

An artist's impression of the new landing at North Shields Fish Quay

The future of a "historic and vital" ferry service has been secured with a pledge to build a new £14.6m landing.

The future of the Shields Ferry had been in doubt over worries the existing jetty in North Shields would fall into an unusable state by 2025.

It is hoped the cost of the new structure at the North Shields Fish Quay will be met by two government funds.

Announcing the plans, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: "The Shields Ferry is a historic part of our transport network and an essential link for many people to get to work."

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness with North Tyneside Mayor Dame Norma Redfearn and managing director of Nexus, Cathy Massarella

"The Shields Ferry service is a vital part of an exciting future for the North Shields Fish Quay, but it urgently needs investment," she added.

At a cabinet meeting later this month, the Labour mayor said she would recommend the signing off of £4.58m from the region’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) towards the overall cost of the project.

It is hoped the rest of the money will come from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) programme, a new government fund for eight urban areas to decarbonise and improve transport links.

Nexus said it had begun the process of tendering for a contractor to build the landing and it hoped construction would begin in 2026.

Cathy Massarella, managing director of Nexus, said it made "good sense" to relocate the landing to the North Shields Fish Quay.

"In this location we can continue to serve commuters while growing a new leisure and family market linked to local attractions and restaurants," she added.

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