Isle of Man's Liverpool ferry terminal cost rises to £70m

The development is being funded by the Manx government

The cost of a new Isle of Man government-funded ferry terminal in Liverpool has almost doubled.

The project, which had been set to cost £38m, will now cost more than £70.6m.

A bid to increase funding for the scheme at the Princes Half Tide Dock by £13.8m was put on hold by the island's parliament in July.

Politicians will now be asked to approve spending an additional £32.6m on the facility at the December sitting of Tynwald.

The Department of Infrastructure (DOI) previously said the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as additional work on the quay wall and unexpected issues with the site, were to blame for the rise in the cost of the project.

Confirming the project would not now be completed until "the middle of 2023", Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said the new price tag included a solution to create "scour protection" to shield the quay wall from any future damage.

He said the rise was "deeply concerning" and there were "lessons to be learnt from it", adding the matter had already been referred for review "as part of the political scrutiny procedure that exists" by his predecessor in the role.

"However, we must make a decision on the future of this project and this should be our immediate focus," he added.

When the issue was last debated by Tynwald members, the bid for increased funding was criticised for being brought forward at "exceptionally short notice".

The new terminal will be used instead of current facilities at Liverpool and Birkenhead

The new ferry terminal and linkspan have been designed to accommodate the Isle of Man Steam Packet vessels, including the Manxman, which is currently under construction and is due to start service in 2023.

In a memorandum to Tynwald members, the DOI said the new building would "be able to accommodate up to a maximum of 1,000 passengers and 200 checked-in vehicles and winter weekend freight, with emergency backup freight provision should Heysham Port become inaccessible".

"A passenger access system will also be provided to ensure that all aspects of the facility can be used by passengers of all abilities," it added.

When planning permission was granted for the facility in April 2019, the estimated cost of the development was £31.3m, however that had increased by the time the funding received political approval in July the same year.

Originally due to be completed by March 2021, the new terminal is situated about 800yds (730m) from the existing one at the city's Pier Head.