Final cost of ferry terminal remains uncertain

The final cost of the Isle of Man's ferry terminal in Liverpool remains uncertain more than a year after the facility was opened, the Treasury minister has confirmed.

Alex Allinson said there remained "a number of issues to resolve" regarding the figure for the Manx government-funded development at the Princes Half Tide Dock.

A raft of delays saw the cost of the project almost double from £38m to £70.6m, but a bid to allocate an additional £10m in contingency funding was withdrawn in November 2023.

Allinson said the matter was "currently being handled by the legal advisers" who said the amount was "subject to legal privilege".

He told Tynwald members while the Department of Infrastructure "was making progress on the final cost", which meant the Treasury "cannot be currently certain of the exact final cost".

The terminal was opened to passengers travelling on the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessels in July last year, five years after work on the project began.

Julie Edge MHK raised the issue of contingency funding on capital projects being inadequate, while Tim Glover MHK wanted to know the timescale for such a vote, highlighting that a general election was looming in September 2026.

Allinson conceded that "in retrospect" the contingency funding for the terminal "was not sufficient".

As a result the contingency amount for further large projects had been reviewed by the Treasury and had been increased, he continued.

Once the figure was finalised he said he would "bring the scheme to Tynwald for a supplementary vote", which he said he hoped would happen before the end of the current administration.

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