New Ships

Wightlink provides the main link between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. We endeavour to provide Island residents and visitors with an easy and frequent service. Every year we carry over 5 million passengers and 65% of the Island’s freight to and from the Island. 1.2 million of our passengers travel on our route between Lymington and Yarmouth. 

The Introduction Of The New "W" Class Ferries 

1. The introduction of Wightlink’s three new ferries on the Lymington/Yarmouth route has been contentious. However, over their frst year’s operation, the ferries’ operational and safety record has been excellent and we believe they represent a signifcant enhancement to the service we offer our passengers.
2. Their route runs close to and between two European nature conservation sites (see the map below).
3. A judgement in the High Court in February 2010 confrmed that Wightlink is the competent authority which must decide whether or not the ferries pose a threat to the integrity of the habitat in the conservation sites. However, the Court held that the original assessment made by Wightlink regarding the effects of the operation of the new ferries on the conservation sites prior to the ferries’ introduction was not suffcient to satisfy the EU Habitats Directive and UK law.
4. Wightlink will now start the assessment process again taking account of the possible effects on the conservation sites of:
     a. the operation of the new ferries
     b. proposed improvements to the Lymington berthworks for the new ferries
     c. proposed habitat protection and regeneration works which Wightlink intends to undertake in connection with the operation of the new ferries. 
   
5. Please download the briefing note below which outlines the process of what now needs to be done by Wightlink, including applications for planning and other consents from a number of local and national authorities. Let us have your views by email supplied by 30 July.
    
   Thank you for your time in reading this.
    
   The wightlink management Team (June 2010)

Download (PDF - 3mb)

Lymington River Map

Lymington Berth Works Map

Scoping Report 

Wightlink has today submitted a Scoping Report to all relevant stakeholders as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Wightlink’s proposals for the ferry service running from Lymington to Yarmouth. Wightlink has undertaken to complete a voluntary EIA of the  operation of the ferry service on the Lymington to Yarmouth route, which includes the implementation and completion of shore works at the ferry terminal and the mitigation works on the salt marshes to the east of Lymington River, together forming the Project for the purposes of the assessment. The Scoping Report will inform the content of the Environmental Statement (ES) for the Project which will accompany the applications for the relevant consents required to complete the Project. )For more information on the EIA process please see note to editors below) 

The Scoping Report has been submitted to all relevant stakeholders for the Project for comment, who include:

• New Forest District Council and National Park Authority who will determine the applications for planning permission for the Project and both of whom are competent authorities under the Habitats Directive and Regulations in relation to the grant of planning permission; 
• Marine Management Organisation who will determine the applications for the marine licences needed for the Project and is a competent authority under the Habitats Directive and Regulations in relation to the grant of marine licences;
• Environment Agency who will act as consultee to the local planning authorities and will be responsible for determining an application for flood defence consent for the shore works;
• Natural England who will act as consultee to the competent authorities in relation to the appropriate assessment required under the Habitats Directive and Regulations;
• Other Stakeholders including Lymington Harbour Commissioners and the Lymington River Association.

Full details of the parties who have been consulted can be found in chapter one of the Scoping Report.

Under the relevant legislation, the local planning authorities are required to provide their opinion on the scope of the ES having considered the Scoping Report and consultation responses to it. Their scoping opinion has to be issued by 29 July 2010.
A copy of the Scoping report is available here

Any person wishing to comment on the proposed scope of the EIA should write to the local planning authorities and any comments should be received in advance of the date specified above. Comments can also be submitted to Wightlink at the following address Wightlink c/o Alistair Billington, Environmental Resources Management, 2nd Floor Exchequer Court, 33 St Mary Axe, London EC3A 8AA. or alistair.billington@erm.com.

We would be grateful if any comments submitted to the local planning authorities could also be copied to Wightlink at Guwharf Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2LA. 

Note to Editors:

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the process by which the environmental effects of projects are identified before the consents necessary for the relevant project are granted.  

The statutory bodies determining applications for those consents are required to take account of the information provided as a result of the EIA process in determining those applications.  That information includes the environmental statement (ES) Wightlink will submit with its applications for the consents it needs for the Project and the responses to consultation on the ES.  EIA ensures that decisions are made in the knowledge of the attendant environmental effects and with full engagement of statutory bodies, local and national groups and members of the public.

EIA has a number of stages. Scoping is the process of determining the content and extent of matters to be covered in the EIA generally and to be reported in the ES.  Scoping seeks to ensure that the information provided in an ES addresses the key effects of the Project.

The ES is the most visible part of the EIA process. It will draw together the findings of Wightlink’s technical studies undertaken to investigate the potential environmental effects of the Project. It is Wightlink’s responsibility to prepare the ES and present the information in a comprehensive, clear and objective manner for review by the relevant authorities determining consents required for the project, statutory consultees and members of the public.  

Wightlink’s observations regarding recent questions asked and discussions held in parliament.

This week there have been both an Adjournment Debate and written replies to a number of questions lodged by Desmond Swayne MP regarding Wightlink’s operations in the Lymington River. 

In the Adjournment Debate the Minister confirmed that Wightlink is the relevant competent authority responsible for assessing the impact of the new vessels. Wightlink is undertaking its duties in this respect and has asked stakeholders for their comments regarding its proposed assessment process.

In the Debate, Mr Swayne said that, left to nature, the salt marshes would be growing and extending were it not for the propulsion units on the ferries. There is no evidence that this is true. It is widely accepted that salt marshes all over the Solent are diminishing but, as yet, no study has provided conclusive evidence regarding the cause of the loss. As the Minister said “we need to have a sense of perspective and not blame everything on what has happened recently.” Wightlink notes that natural erosion has played and continues to play its part and leisure craft activity is considerable throughout the Solent often requiring significant dredging. 30,000 tonnes of mud are dredged from Lymington Harbour alone every year to accommodate the leisure craft industry.

The Minister went onto say “there is no evidence to suggest that any impacts will be different to those already predicted”. Wightlink’s proposed habitat regeneration and protection plans are designed to deal with these. He concluded by saying there is no clear scientific basis on which to support a decision to stop or suspend the ferry operation at the moment. His written answers confirmed the remarks he made in the debate and added “that any impacts arising from the operation of these ferries up to the spring of 2011, when works needed to mitigate the impact of the ferries are planned to start, would be insignificant and not likely to result in any measurable harm or damage”.  Wightlink notes that ongoing surveys undertaken both by Wightlink’s appointed advisors and by the Lymington Harbour Commission continue to fail to find evidence of ferry-induced erosion.

Wightlink also notes that Mr Swayne professes not to be anti-ferry and we assume his views take account of the value of the vital link between Lymington and Yarmouth and the significant economic and employment benefits that it provides for his constituents and thousands of others. For the avoidance of doubt we hope it is useful to remind interested parties that Wightlink is not the only competent authority that has to carry out Appropriate Assessments relating to the project. A number of consents and licences are required from The New Forest District Council, The National Parks Authority, The Marine Management Organisation and the Environment Agency all of whom will carry out independent assessments. Only when they are satisfied no adverse impact will occur from the operation of the ferries, will they issue the required consents. Wightlink will only finalise its own Appropriate Assessment when all other Competent Authorities have confirmed that there will be no adverse impact.

Wightlink fully understands the frustration felt by all of our customers who currently endure less than ideal embarkation facilities in Lymington, and those other river users who are inconvenienced by the additional time taken to moor the ferries.  We would like to assure you we are doing everything possible to resolve the situation as quickly as we can and we would like to apologise to all affected by the delays in completing our works.

Issued 18 June 2010

Watch the Wight Light launch video

Press Statement regarding the Introduction of the Wight Class Ferries more

3rd December -  Statement on the Introduction of the Wight Class Ferries more

  Watch the Christening Ceremony video