I’m working hard to get Faversham’s swing bridge back up and running.
Last month I met with the Maritime Minister Lord Gower, and recently I brought together representatives from KCC, Faversham Town Council, the Faversham Society, the Faversham Creek Trust and the Department for Transport to discuss next steps.
The Department for Transport have been investigating how to solve the impasse for three years, and want to help if they can. But without an agreement on legal ownership their hands are tied.
Given this, Department for Transport officials have suggested an arbitration process between KCC and Peel Ports to be led by a King's Counsel with maritime expertise.
While not without challenges, Kent County Council believes this is a prudent way forward. They want to be sure it has the support of local parties as there are risks involved, and the next step is for Faversham to decide if it wants to pursue the approach. If the dispute over ownership can be put to bed once and for all, then there might finally be a clear route forward for the project.
