THURROCK Council leader Cllr Richard Bingley has called on the authority to show more 'imagination, ambition and energy' to bring back the Tilbury to Gravesend ferry.

The service between the two Thames towns was controversially ended in March 2024 after the then Conservative administration in Thurrock had announced it would withdraw its contribution to the joint subsidy with Kent County Council.

Operators Jetstream said they could not continue without the subsidy and the service ran for the last time on 31 March 2024.

Despite significant public clamour for its return and protests from councillors and MPs, there seems no imminent likelihood of cash-strapped Thurrock reversing its decision and as recently as March this year, senior council director Paul Crick played down hopes of a quick solution, saying 'extensive modelling is now required to understand the "optimum" commercial starting point for any reinstated service'.

The council has shown little interest in following up a proposal put forward in April by the Tilbury Community Forum, whose chairman and local businessman Craig Austin has done a considerable amount of work, identifying and forging links with Norwegian company Hyke, who have expressed strong interest in the project.

Hyke designs and manufactures fully electric, autonomous passenger ferries and operates them in Scandinavian waters, including operating links between towns on waters very similar to the Thames estuary.

Hyke's ferries combine fully electric propulsion, advanced technology, lightweight construction and flexible vessel design. The Hyke F-15 Shuttle accommodates up to 50 passengers, provides barrier-free access and can use the same CCS charging standard widely used by electric cars. Mr Austin says it is the sort of vessel that would fit the bill on the Thames between Tilbury and Gravesend.

It operates on an almost identical route between Bekkhus and Vaterland in Fredrikstad, which is a 225-metre river crossing with an average crossing time of approximately two minutes.

Overtures to Thurrock Council through Mr Austin have been largely ignored by Thurrock Council.

Meanwhile calls for the re-opening of the service have continued.

Last month the matter was raised in Westminster at Prime Minister's Questions by Gravesham Labour MP Dr Lauren Sullivan.

That prompted PM Andy Burnham to give 'his word' that action would follow, saying: "I do not think it is acceptable that a link once there can just be abandoned and go.

"I will work to find ways of bringing that service back."

In the wake of that comment borough MP Jen Craft wrote to Mr Burnham, welcoming his 'commitment' to the ferry cause.

Last November Thurrock Council launched a Task and Finish Working group to look into ferry options. 11 months on it's finding, if any, appear to have disappered into oblivion.

Now Cllr Bingley has called for constructive action.

In a message on the council's website he says: "Humanity first travelled into space seventy years ago. Today we have extraordinary advances in electric propulsion, navigation, automation and transport technology.

"Yet in modern Britain, we apparently cannot operate a short ferry service connecting two enormous county economies!

"That represents a failure of imagination, ambition and energy.

"Surely restoring this crossing cannot be beyond the collective capability of Thurrock's businesses, community organisations and council?

"A revived ferry could reconnect workers with jobs, stimulate tourism, support local businesses and strengthen commercial relationships across the Thames.

"That is why I have asked Thurrock Council's Place Committee to immediately convene a task force to examine how we can get this historic service back up and running.

"I want businesses, potential operators, community organisations and our neighbours in Kent working together to examine practical, affordable and innovative solutions.

"We need entrepreneurial thinking, commercial partnerships and determination. Together we can restore our Ferry service.

"Thurrock's history should inspire our future, not simply decorate our museums.

"For seven centuries, this crossing helped connect two great counties. We owe it to future generations to restore that connection.

"Let's bring back the Tilbury–Gravesend ferry and demonstrate that Thurrock has the ambition and energy to get things done."

COMMENT:

Cllr Bingley's call for more to be done about the ferry is a very welcome one. As is his intention to embrace innovation and technology.

He has called for vision and enterprise. Hopefully his intervention and instruction to create a task force will be the catalyst for action.

The PM has backed that call, local MPs have backed that call and there are very knowledgeable and informed people with passion for our borough, like Mr Austin, who have lots to contribute.

There is a fear that Cllr Bingley may have simply jumped on the ferrywagon of comment on a hot topic of the day. Perhaps he has spoken without knowledge the place committee already has a working group.

But the fact he has personally now embraced the issue and released such ardent, zealous rhetoric can only be a good thing and I commend him for it.

But it can't just be words, there has to be action.

I have raised the possibility of working with a company like Hyke at the council but it fell on deaf ears. I have spoken with Hyke and members of their team and I have personally seen their ferries in operation on Norway's waterways. They have a lot to talk about.

Hyke may only be one of a number of potential service providers, Europe has many others. Why Thurrock hasn't talked to them is beyond my comprehension.

Cllr Bingley is bang on when he makes reference to technology and the UK's inability to embrace it. Typified in Thurrock by shortsightedness and intransigence.

And exemplified by Thurrock Council's inability to engage with another potential local transport provider, KenEx, who have ambitious plans to bring trams to the region - including a cross Thames link at Grays.

There are huge hurdles, not least financing, for that proposal to come to fruition but if you don't start talking you won't find solutions. Thurrock has effectively slammed the door in the face of KenEx on a number of occasions.

Cllr Bingley may have given his officers a kick up the backside with his thoughts. It is a timely and welcome action. Let's hope it leads to something positive.