Campaigners hoping to reinstate a “vital” passenger ferry crossing have been offered a glimmer of hope.
The Gravesend to Tilbury service, which boasted more than 100,000 journeys a year, ended in spring 2024 after cash-strapped Thurrock council pulled its share of the funding.
But users and supporters of the crossings have been hoping they can run again and Kent County Council (KCC) has pledged its support.
Now a working party is seeking other potential backers to get boats back on the water again.
Green Party activist Rebecca Drake Hopkins told KCC’s environment and transport committee the loss of the service, which was run by commercial operator JetStream, had negatively impacted its regular users.
She told councillors: “A high proportion of frequent users indicated that it was used to access support and amenities in the form of doctors, hospital and other healthcare, essential food shopping, social activities or caring responsibilities.
“Cross-river journeys are now longer and less straightforward, putting additional pressure on the already over-used Dartford Crossing and surrounding roadways.
“The ferry cancellation has also had a significant impact on businesses in the
Gravesend town centre who are reporting a noticeable downturn in revenue, and in some cases, closures.”
Gravesend business owners previously called for the service to be restored after reporting drops in trade, which even caused some to close down.
Lester Banks, landlord of the Three Daws pub, next to the ferry terminal, said previously he hoped the ferry will return.
He added: “It would be a great thing if they could bring the ferry back. We had people who came across year after year, week after week, to either socialise or shop in the town, and we got to know them so well, but all of a sudden, that stopped.”
Mrs Drake Hopkins reported that one local business of a number of years’ standing referred to the ferry closure as “…the final nail in the coffin. We just lost so much trade.”
KCC, which was a subsidiser of the service, was unable to make up the funding shortfall after Thurrock withdrew.
According to KCC papers in the last full year of operation, 113,000 journeys were made on the service.
They add: “At the point of cessation (in March 2024), the cost of providing the ferry was forecast as being £440,000 of which £230,000 was expected to be met by passenger fares, leaving a subsidy requirement of £210,000.”
Mrs Drake Hopkins added: “I am aware that the service operated with financial subsidies from KCC, however, there are previously unexplored possibilities for improving revenue if it were reinstated.
“There are many ways in which the existence and convenience of the ferry could be communicated to people locally, including the argument that it would be an appealing and economical alternative to using the Dartford toll crossing.
“Connecting the infrastructure across Gravesham/Kent and Tilbury/Essex could make the ferry a central point for public transport north from Kent into Essex and beyond.
“Further, the opportunity to promote the ferry as a tourist attraction should not be ignored, and could be utilised as a unique selling point as part of Gravesend’s maritime history.”
A petition started by campaigners has so far garnered around 2,400 signatures.
The issue is now in the hands of the Thames Estuary Growth Board, a government-appointed body, which has set up a working party seeking fresh avenues for funding.
The working group consists of KCC, Thurrock council, Gravesham council, the Port of London Authority, the Port of Tilbury and prospective ferry operators.
It seeks to explore the “opportunities to reinstate the service either through a different commercial and contractual model that would not require subsidy or through the identification of other funding partners”, according to KCC papers.
Speaking today (July 21), Mrs Drake Hopkins, whose petition described the service as “vital” to people and businesses, said: “Obviously, it is important not to get too excited because there is still a lot of process to go through.
“The loss of the ferry has a had a negative impact on a lot of people.
“But I am pleased that the petition was well-received and we’re hopeful.”
The working party has warned that in updating operating costs, even with “significantly” increased passenger fares, there would still be a “subsidy requirement”.
The papers add: “It is not immediately obvious where this subsidy may come from, and this matter is being taken up by the growth board who we believe to be engaged with multiple agencies including central government.”
