Bid for further ferry terminal funding withdrawn

Work to build a ferry terminal at Princes Half Tide Dock began in 2019

A bid for a further £10m in contingency funding for a Manx government-funded ferry terminal project in Liverpool has been withdrawn.

Treasury Minister Alex Allinson withdrew the request, which had been adjourned since July, at the November Tynwald sitting.

The original request was brought forward in July but was postponed until the findings of a scrutiny committee on the project.

Dr Allinson said his department was "now confident that there is sufficient funds within the existing contingency budget".

Members have already approved £70m for the construction project, which has seen delays and cost rises since work began in 2019.

'Considerable progress'

A bid to allocate an additional £10m in contingency funding was put on hold in July to allow a Tynwald scrutiny committee to publish its report on the project.

The document by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which was published last week, recommended an overhaul of the handling of the government's major capital projects in future.

Those findings are due to be debated at the February sitting of Tynwald.

Dr Allinson said the adjournment had also allowed "further financial details to be finalised".

"Since July there's been considerable progress on the project, including the connection to mains electricity... and the successful installation of the linkspan," he said.

"All parties are committed to the completion of this project," he added.