Following essential safety repairs, the West Lynn ferry will officially resume operations from 7am on Monday, August 11.
The service was suspended at the beginning of the year due to safety concerns, leading to frustration from councillors and residents unable to use it.
Now, using joint funding of nearly £100,000 from Norfolk County Council and West Norfolk Council, vital repair work is now nearing completion.
Improvements include:
• Reinstated handrails and safety barriers on both ferry landings
• Structural repairs to steps and surfaces
• Additional maintenance carried out by the ferry operator
Speaking at last night’s full borough council meeting, Cllr Michael de Whalley, cabinet member for climate change and biodiversity, said: “Contractors have completed the landing steps at West Lynn, and with only a few remaining on the Lynn side, Ben the skipper is ready to welcome passengers back.
“I am delighted that the ferry can resume its passenger service from 7am on Monday, August 11. The landings look fantastic, and the operator is eager to set sail again.
“I’d like to thank the passengers for their patience, the operator for their dedication, and all our partners – including Norfolk County Council, the harbour master and supporting agencies – for helping restore this vital service.
“We continue to work collectively to relaunch the ferry and ensure that users are aware of the resumption of its service.”
Cllr De Whalley added: “Please show your continued support for the ferry and make good use of it.
“If you live in West Lynn, Clenchwarton, Terrington or nearby, this is a golden opportunity to leave the traffic behind and embrace the historic ferry that’s served our community since 1285.”
Cllr Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport at the county council, said: “A lot of people rely on the ferry to travel from West Lynn and the town and I’m delighted to see it being brought back into service.”
“An awful lot of work has gone into repairing and replacing the steps, which has been a real joint effort, with the county and borough council sharing the costs.”
Ben Ellis, skipper and co-owner of the ferry, added: “The ferry’s coming back stronger than ever – I can’t wait to get going.
“To all those who said they’d use it, I hope to see you soon.”
Cllr De Whalley also touched on the length of time it took to get the ferry back up and running.
“I wish to allay concerns about the time it has taken to bring the ferry service back into operation,” he said.
“Please rest assured that this council has worked based on this being a high priority response matter as opposed to a long-term project, from day one.
“I am sure that everyone will agree that we could not have reopened until we were confident that the service was made safe. This is the earliest possible opportunity that we could do so.”
Cllr Alex Kemp, who represents West Lynn on the borough and county councils, said: “This comes as such a relief to us all, after the sixth- month pause of our quickest, greenest route into town.”
