Ferry service funding secured for three years

The ferry crosses the River Wyre in about five minutes

Campaigners striving to keep a local ferry service operating in Lancashire say funding has been secured until 2029.

The Fleetwood to Knott End ferry - which connects the two towns either side of the River Wyre estuary - was able to continue from 2022 thanks to a joint £80,000 investment from Lancashire County Council and Wyre Council, which allowed the service to run until April 2026.

But at Wyre's full council meeting on 23 October, councillor Peter Le Marinel said he had not had a response from County Hall about the way forward after March.

However, campaigner Anton Arenko, who runs the Save Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry campaign, said he had received confirmation funding had now been secured.

'A real victory'

He was speaking after Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers told BBC Radio Lancashire that Wyre Council had committed to a three-year subsidy and that she had confirmation from Lancashire County Council that it would also provide cash for the same period.

There had been fears that it would only contribute for one year, with Beavers calling it "excellent news".

Mr Arenko said it was "a real victory" that the ferry's future would "be secure for a further three years".

"Starting an early campaign and bringing it to the forefront to the minds of both councils demonstrates the true power of local people coming together, launching a campaign to fight to protect not only one of their vital services but a solid piece of heritage," he said.

A spokesman for Wyre Council said the authority was expected to be "issuing tender documents in December with anticipated award of the contract prior to April 2026," said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.