Cowes Floating Bridge: Legal mediation talks come to nothing

The £3.2m Floating Bridge Number 6 has been beset by problems since entering service in May 2017

Talks to reach a financial settlement over the Isle of Wight's troubled chain ferry have stalled, the council has said.

Isle of Wight Council has undertaken legal mediation with those who built and designed the Floating Bridge 6.

The £3.2 million vessel has been plagued with problems, malfunctions and breakdowns since it was installed in 2017.

The council confirmed no agreement had been reached during two days of talks.

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

A Cabinet Office study recently criticised the vessel for having "several apparent design inadequacies".

Ahead of last week's mediation proceedings, the council previously said it was after a "fair and acceptable settlement".

Phil Jordan, the cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, said the local authority was now deciding what its next steps will be - whether to go back to mediation or take further legal action.

Mr Jordan said one of the reasons the mediation had failed was because the parties were miles apart in agreeing on the costs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The council has not ruled out ordering a replacement vessel.

The vessel is currently being taken to a dry dock facility in Falmouth for a legally-required inspection by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The service will be out of action until 22 April.

A passenger launch runs while the ferry is unavailable, while vehicles face a 12-mile detour via Newport.