Proposal to retain ferry around lough

Proposal to retain ferry around lough

5 October 2016

A FERRY which has been a feature of life on Strangford Lough for four decades may remain in the area after its £6m replacement arrives shortly.

The MV Strangford went into service over four decades ago, with Transport NI officials confirming the vessel is approaching the end of its operational life.

The government department is planning to sell the vessel, but one local politician hopes it can remain on the lough and be transformed into a new tourist facility.

Councillor Naomi Bailie has been discussing with Newry, Mourne and Down Council officials the potential for buying the old ferry outright, or with the help of a consortium, the private sector or community groups. She has also discussed her idea to retain the vessel on Strangford Lough with a senior official from Tourism NI.

“I am trying to get more information about the cost of buying the MV Strangford,” she explained.

“I would like to see us procure the vessel to use as part of our tourism offering on Strangford Lough. We are currently welcoming thousands into Strangford and Lecale off the back of the success of the Game of Thrones series and the addition of the ferry would excel us onto another platform in terms of our appeal to national and international visitors.”

Councillor Bailie believes the vessel could be used for a number of projects including a maritime museum, for trips on the internationally acclaimed waterway or a docked restaurant or cafe.

The new £6m ferry to replace the MV Strangford, which is being built at the Cammell Laird shipyard on Merseyside, is due to arrive in the area shortly.

The new, modern ferry has been designed specifically for the Strangford Lough crossing with Transport NI insisting it will provide a more reliable and efficient ferry service for the public in the years ahead.

The new vessel has the capacity to carry 28 cars and 260 passengers and will share the ferry crossing between Strangford and Portaferry with the MV Portaferry II. In preparation for the new ferry’s arrival, work has been completed on a £750,000 scheme to upgrade the Strangford slipway.