Cowes Floating Bridge was poorly designed, report says

The £3.2m vessel has been beset with technical faults and service interruptions

The design of the Isle of Wight's troubled chain ferry has been criticised in a government review.

The Cabinet Office carried out a study of the £3.2m Floating Bridge 6, which returned to service in December after the latest in a series of breakdowns and repair work.

The review found parts of the vessel had "several apparent design inadequacies".

Isle of Wight Council has not ruled out ordering a replacement.

Since it started service in May 2017, the £3.2m chain ferry has had numerous problems, including broken chains, excessive noise and cars scraping their bumpers.

Fatigue cracking

The so-called Gateway Review by the Cabinet Office was requested by the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, which had mainly funded the new ferry.

Inspectors found a successful service with the existing craft "appears feasible" but "significant issues already exist", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The report said the chain's tension was "insufficient" to hold the floating end of the vessel in position due to the fast flow of the River Medina, which creates a safety risk to other river craft crossing them.

Issues with the hydraulic prow ramps were identified and the report said the "overall structural design of the prow was believed to be poor".

The council said it was committed to carrying out the report's recommendations - including an annual test for fatigue cracking.

Councillor Phil Jordan, member for transport, said: "Floating bridge users will be glad and reassured to see the independent review confirming that the key measures and management arrangements are sustainably in place to keep this vital service running."

The council's cabinet will decide next week whether to undertake final assessments to see if the floating bridge is fit for purpose or seek a new vessel.

The local authority's legal mediation involving the naval architects and shipbuilders is due to begin at the end of February.