As residents packed into Studland village hall to express concern over the Sandbanks Ferry company’s proposal to increase the price of crossing between Studland and Sandbanks in Dorset, news came that a public inquiry will be held to decide the issue.
The three day public inquiry is expected to be held from Tuesday 10th to Thursday 12th December 2024 at Studland village hall, where the planning inspector will hear evidence from the ferry company and other interested parties including the local councils, with a decision likely in the new year.
Proposed toll increases may deter use of the ferry
Overwhelming opposition
Ahead of the public inquiry, an open meeting for local residents was organised by Studland Parish Council at the village hall on Wednesday 4th September 2024, for everyone to get the facts and have the opportunity to express their opinion.
Opening the meeting, chair of Studland Parish Council Nick Boulter said that all views were welcome, whether they were supportive of the ferry company’s proposal or against it.
However it was clear that among the 230 people at the meeting, many who had to stand as they had run out of seats, there was overwhelming opposition.
The toll booths may start collecting a road toll as well as the ferry toll
Ferry company proposals
The ferry company is claiming that it’s losing money, so it is asking for tolls to increase in line with RPI inflation in the first year and then by January’s CPI inflation rate for subsequent years. It also wants to unfreeze the toll for pedestrians, cycles and motorbikes and increase the price by 75 percent.
In a move that most penalises local residents, the ferry company wants to reduce the discounts on bulk purchases of tickets. Motor vehicles can currently purchase passes in multiples of 10 at a discount of 28 percent, and 50 at a discount of 32 percent.
The proposal is to gradually reduce the discounts over the next four years to 15 percent and 20 percent respectively.
And while seemingly impractical due to logistics, the ferry company has even proposed to reinstate the old road toll along the Studland approach road to the ferry, which is effectively a parking charge.
Those using the ferry will only have to pay the toll to use the ferry and those parking in the National Trust car park at Shell Bay will be exempt. Also those walking or cycling along the Ferry Road won’t have to pay.
Proposed 75 percent toll increase for cyclists
Proposed toll increases
- Pedestrian (one way toll from Sandbanks): Current toll £1. Immediate increase to £1.75 followed by annual CPI inflation increase
- Pedestrian (one way from Shell Bay, Studland): No current toll charge and no proposed future toll
- Pedal or motorcycle (bikes): Current toll £1. Immediate increase to £1.75 followed by annual CPI inflation increase
- Passenger vehicle less than 16 persons (cars): Current toll £5.30. Immediate increase to £6.26 followed by annual CPI inflation increase
- Passenger vehicle more than 16 persons (coaches): Current toll £10.60. Immediate increase to £12.52 followed by annual CPI inflation increase
- Goods vehicle less than 3,500 kg (vans): Current toll £5.30. Immediate increase to £6.26 followed by annual CPI inflation increase
- Goods vehicle 3,501 kg to 20,000 kg (trucks): Current toll £10.60. Immediate increase to £12.52 followed by annual CPI inflation increase
Pedestrians may have to pay more
Back asking for more
The ferry company says if its demands aren’t met, it won’t have enough money to replace the chain link ferry in 2034.
The ferry company is only allowed to operate due to an Act of Parliament, so has to apply to the UK Government’s department for transport to introduce new tolls. This isn’t the first time that the ferry company has looked to increase its income.
Most recently, public inquiries took place in 2018 and 2021. In 2021 it was agreed that the company could increase the tolls by three percent a year for the next 10 years, but now in 2024 it is back asking for more.
Chair of Studland Parish Council Nick Boulter opens the meeting
“Too much money has gone to pay dividends”
At the Studland meeting, Nick Boulter outlined the parish council’s objections saying that the three percent increase, which had been first proposed by the ferry company in 2021, was a fair annual increase.
He said that the increase in the cost of the bulk discount tickets would hit commuters particularly hard and have a negative impact on people’s finances on top of a cost of living crisis.
If people couldn’t afford the ferry it would just push traffic through Corfe Castle, Wareham and Sandford, which is already regularly jammed.
Nick added:
“Over the last 20 years, the main problem is that the ferry company hasn’t adequately built up the Ferry Reserve Fund and too much money has gone to pay dividends – as pointed out by the planning inspector in 2018.
“The ferry company is now asking its current users to pay for a new ferry which won’t come into operation for many years, but if the company’s ability to borrow was increased, then that could cover the cost.
“At the new inquiry, the inspector will assess whether the ferry company needs additional money to be a viable business. Our evidence suggests that it doesn’t and that’s why we will be objecting.”
Between 1995 and 2018, the ferry company paid out £12 million in dividends and placed £2.4 million into the Ferry Replacement Fund.
Councillor Ben Wilson who represents Studland residents on Dorset Council, voiced his concerns
“Safeguard our economy”
As the highway and public transport authorities, Dorset Council is working with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council to formulate a response to the ferry company’s proposal.
At the Studland meeting was newly elected councillor Ben Wilson who represents Studland residents on Dorset Council. He said:
“We need an outcome that secures the future sustainability of the ferry. The proposed increased toll for foot passengers and cyclists is a concern – we need to hold fast on promoting sustainable transport.
“The impact on residents is also a critical factor. The reduction in the bulk discount of tickets could affect the lifeblood of our local economy – people need to get to work from Purbeck and employees need to come to Purbeck to work.
“We must safeguard our economy and not make the ferry an unviable form of transport.”
Studland Bay balances access for people with the protection of the environment
“The nature and beauty is there for everyone to access and enjoy”
The National Trust owns the Studland peninsula but the ferry company owns Ferry Road from just past the entrance to Knoll Beach car park, up to the ferry terminal.
By the 1923 Act of Parliament, the ferry company owns 25 feet each side of the road from the centre line and this was confirmed in the subsequent Act in 1986. It’s the ferry company’s responsibility to maintain the road.
Purbeck general manager for the National Trust Tracey Churcher, speaking at the meeting said:
“The National Trust is non-political but we will respond to matters that affect us. Providing access to National Trust land is something that we do have an interest in.
“An awful lot of local residents regularly visit the area and charging them something in the region of £2,000 a year just to use the road will deter them from accessing the land. We also have the largest naturist group in the UK who park near the naturist beach and they should be considered.
“Many of our staff are young and can’t afford to live in Purbeck, so they come over from Poole or Bournemouth to work. We help them with the cost and are currently paying about £30,000 a year towards the tolls. This is money that we can’t use to invest in improving the car parks.
“The National Trust also pays to collect litter from around the area and to maintain the toilets. It feels uncomfortable that it’s others who are taking the money.
“While the ferry company says that drivers won’t be charged if they park in our Shell Bay car park, it won’t be able to cope with the demand. Because the area is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, we won’t be able to expand the car park or build a new one. It’s already full by mid morning on sunny days.
“Active travel is really important so we can’t support the increase in the ferry toll for walkers and cyclists. The nature and beauty is there for everyone to access and enjoy.”
The tolls are currently set to rise by three percent a year
Swanage Town Council meeting
Swanage town mayor Tina Foster attended the meeting along with other Swanage councillors and said that Swanage was still deciding whether to submit a joint legal objection with Dorset Council and BCP Council, as it had done in 2021.
An extraordinary council meeting is planned for 7 pm on Monday 9th September 2024 at Swanage Town Hall, to discuss its response.
Businesses and residents are against the ferry company’s proposals
Other objections raised
Local residents who attended the meeting made various other points. One said that she’d been shocked and surprised at the numbers when she calculated what the annual increase could be to her commute to Southampton plus the additional times she spent walking her dog or visiting the beach.
Another pointed out that the increase would put extra pressure on the budgets of the emergency services as ambulances, police cars and fire engines are all charged to use the ferry. She said that it was a double whammy for Purbeck residents as we had lost Poole A and E to Bournemouth and now it would cost more to get to Bournemouth located further away.
Questions were raised like, how could it be guaranteed that money in the Ferry Replacement Fund was actually spent on a new ferry? The Waverley paddle steamer was still going and it was 80 years old, so isn’t it likely that the company will just try to keep the current chain ferry going? Why wasn’t the Ferry Replacement Fund legally ring fenced?
Other questions were asked like could the ferry be compulsory purchased or registered as a community asset? Councillor Ben Wilson said that if the ferry failed to operate for a month, then it could be taken over by the Poole Harbour Authority and while that wasn’t currently being considered, it was something that may take shape in the medium term.
The ferry is vital to the local economy linking rural Swanage and surrounding villages with Sandbanks and the towns of Poole and Bournemouth
Disadvantage the vulnerable
Fisherman Roger Marsh said that if there were easterly winds, then fishing vessels from Swanage were taken to Studland for shelter but then they would all face paying a road toll to keep an eye on their boats.
The general manager of The Grand hotel in Swanage, Lindsey Bish said:
“There’s two ways to get to Swanage, one is by road and the other is by ferry. But if all you do is keep putting up the prices to reach Swanage – a tourism destination – then we won’t have the visitors booking the hotels and B and Bs.
“This has a knock on effect for local employment and recruitment and for the local tourism economy, which Swanage relies on.”
Also it was mentioned that Purbeck with an ageing population employs carers that often come from Poole or Bournemouth and they won’t be able to afford the toll increases, meaning less carers. It was claimed that this would disadvantage the vulnerable and penalise the local population.
Overnight parking is banned on Ferry Road but many ignore the rules
“Many benefits in reintroducing the road-only toll”
While the ferry company was not officially present at the Studland meeting to defend its proposal, earlier the managing director of the ferry company, Jason du Toit said:
“There will be many benefits in reintroducing the road-only toll for various stakeholders.
“It will ease congestion at busy times along Ferry Road by reducing parking on the verges, which often spills onto the carriageway. It is likely this will aid in protection of natural habitats, whilst making a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists alike.
“The hope is that it will encourage parking in National Trust car parks and be a small aid in topping up the Ferry Replacement Reserve. There is a further anticipation that it will go some way in eradicating the overnight parking and camper vans along the road”.
Residents say that they would use the ferry more if the tolls were lower
“Angry and concerned”
The Studland meeting concluded after about an hour and a half of discussion. Following the meeting chair of Studland Parish Council Nick Boulter said:
“I’ve never seen so many people attend a meeting like this in the village hall. In 2016 we had about 80 people discuss the removal of the Middle Beach cafe and that was a big issue but this time we had three times as many people.
“I think it really goes to show how angry and concerned we all are!”
Objections
Objections to the ferry company’s application must be submitted by Thursday 12th September 2024 via email to nationalcasework@dft.gov.uk or by letter to the Secretary of State, Department for Transport, Tyneside House, Skinnerburn Road, Newcastle Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7AR, marked for the attention of Sandra Zamenzadeh (Casework manager, National Transport Casework Team).
Further information
- All the documents about the toll proposal are on the Sandbanks Ferry website
