A new, greener ship is being built to add to the current fleet and an older one will be refurbished, as part of a funding scheme to regenerate parts of the River Mersey. Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said the new ship would be greener than the current fleet, which is “becoming increasingly difficult to maintain”. “The Mersey ferries are not only a vital transport link between communities in the Liverpool city region, they are also an important part of our identity,” he said. “They are well-loved by residents and tourists alike, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to our area each year. But as the current ships are older than the Gerry and the Pacemakers song that made them world famous, they are becoming more and more difficult to maintain and are definitely in need of an upgrade.” He added: “It is fantastic news for the area and a fitting way to continue the legacy of Gerry Marsden and the Mersey ferries. There have been boats crossing the Mersey since the 12th century and, thanks to our investment, they will be here to stay.” The contract to build the new ferry has been awarded to Damen shipyard in the Netherlands, a decision that has been criticized locally as Merseyside has its own shipyard, which has built them in the past. Government rules forced Liverpool city-region bosses to put the contract out to tender across Europe, despite having the Cammell Laird shipyard on the Mersey, which has built 15 Mersey ferries since 1836 and maintains the current fleet. The company, which employs nearly 700 people locally, has been contracted to refit one of the current fleet and carry out finishing work on the latest vessel in partnership with Damen. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a complete betrayal of a local and highly skilled workforce, it defies belief that a new Mersey ferry will not be built on the river to serve the ferry. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “This is a general failure of the Government’s procurement policy, which continues to undermine strategic British industries and threatens jobs and skills.” The project is part of a 20-year strategy which also includes multi-million pound upgrades to Seacombe Ferry Terminal and the Eureka! Science + Discovery attraction.
