THE future of a historic pier and its record-holding railway remain in doubt as repairs and ownership questions drag out.
Hythe Pier in Hampshire is the UK’s seventh-longest of its kind but has been shut for more than a year, and has kept essential ferry services out of reach.
Located in Hampshire, the pier is a crucial stopping point for the Hythe Ferry, which ran regular services to Southampton before the closure.
The pier is also home to a historic ferry train which having opened in 1922 makes it the world’s oldest, a feat recognised by Guinness World Records.
Concerned residents have been searching for answers about when the pier would open and ferry services resume given that repair and electrical works seem to have concluded.
Services were suspended in August last year over health and safety concerns when damage was found underneath the landing pontoon.
But the ferry service never resumed, and the pier was once again closed in autumn this year to carry out electrical work.
“Essential works to support the pier and ferry operations are progressing,” a spokesperson for the ferry company told the BBC.
When contacted by The Sun, the ferry’s spokesperson said algae on the pier needed to be cleared out before services could resume. However, cleaning could only occur once the weather had dried up for a period of time, so the algae was likely to be removed in spring.
This is a blow for locals who have waited months for answers about when they could expect the ferry to be up and running again.
What has made the situation more complicated is a change in ownership of the Hythe and Southampton Ferry Company.
Investment firm Njord Partners has taken over Red Funnel, which owned the ferry company, but it has not been made clear how this would impact services.
“We simply don’t know anything about whether the Hythe Ferry was included in the takeover, and as the tenant of the pier, it’s their responsibility to determine when it can reopen again – we’ve asked them and had no answer,” vice-chair of the parish council, Mark Clark, told the BBC.
A PR firm representing Red Funnel issued a statement on the matter saying there was work being done to find solutions for a “sustainable future.”
“We’re pleased to confirm that the owners of Hythe Pier recently completed critical electrical repairs,” read the statement to the BBC.
“This is an important step forwards but there is still work to be done.
“The ferry is a historic and much-loved service, and we are working hard behind the scenes, together with local partners, to find the right solution and secure a sustainable future”.
The pier is owned by local councillor Ashleigh Mutimear-MacMillan who said it was closed by the tenant – Southampton and Hythe Ferry Company – and she was considering getting the pier registered as a charity.
“Decisions about access, operation and reopening sit with the Hythe Ferry,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“As the pier owner, I continue to engage with the tenant and have been working to resolve electrical issues affecting the pier and associated community facilities.”
Mutimear-MacMillan said her idea of switching the pier business to a charity was because “the only income to the pier is rental income, and the full annual income has already been spent on essential electrical works.”
“There are no further funds available at this time through the private limited company, which is why longer-term funding options are being considered,” she wrote.