Floating Bridge consultation

Share your views on the future of the Floating Bridge 

Consultation opens: 14 July 2025

Consultation closes: 22 August 2025 midnight

Island residents, businesses and visitors are being asked to share their views on the future crossing options providing a link between the towns of East Cowes and Cowes via the River Medina.

The current crossing is provided by the Floating Bridge 6 (FB6) which has been in operation since 2017.

Why are we doing this?

The Isle of Wight Council Cabinet agreed in March 2024 to replace the current floating bridge and to develop a new River Medina Crossing Strategy.  This includes an appraisal of all viable options and a full business case and financial assessment.

Working closely with specialist marine, legal and financial experts, a long list of options has been assessed resulting in the following shortlist of options to take forward for public consultation:

  1. New vessel option: Replacement existing floating bridge with a new floating bridge (FB7)
  2. Modify existing vessel and/or the operational environment option: through a phased approach involving additional control chains and/or tidal flow reduction and/or adding flush thrusters to the existing vessel
  3. Do minimum option: Maintain and operate the existing floating bridge with the continued use of the push boat

There are cost, time, and service implications for each of these options.

More information is included in the consultation documents

Why your views matter?

Your views are extremely important to us and the information you share with us will be used to help inform a report that will be taken to the Isle of Wight Council’s Economy, Regeneration, Transport and Infrastructure Committee for their decision in October 2025.

How to take part

Survey

We have created a short survey to help you to share your views with us.  The survey can be accessed online by clicking on the link.

Alternatively, you can request a paper copy by contacting us at procurement@iow.gov.uk.

Add 'Floating bridge consultation' to the subject line so we can direct your email

Drop in events

As part of the consultation, we will also be holding a series of drop-in events as follows:

  • 22 July, 3-7pm, East Cowes Town Hall, East Cowes  
  • 23 July, 3-7pm, Northwood House, Cowes  
  • 31 July, 3-7pm, Riverside Centre, Newport 

Each of these events will be attended by council officers involved in this process, along with the specialist advisors appointed to help with this work. 

This will provide you with an opportunity to look at the information and to ask any questions you might have.  You do not have to make an appointment for the drop in events, simply turn up at any point during the advertised times and we will be delighted to talk to you and listen to your feedback.

You can also join an online meeting to find out more and there will be a presentation at the start of the meeting followed by a Q&A session with those on the call.

You can join the meeting by clicking directly on the meeting link on the date and time of the meeting.

Alternatively, if you wish to add this to your own online calendar you can also right click on the meeting link using your computer mouse to copy the link. You can then add a meeting entry to your own calendar for the allotted time, pasting in the link details to the diary entry so you can then click on the link and join it on the day.

If you have any problems accessing the meeting, email procurement@iow.gov.uk

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