Isle of Wight fixed link - Some people think tax payer should pay for it ?

[Myneighbourisanosyoldgit]

I live on the island, moved here 15 years ago, working and very happy here.
But since day one there is always complaints about the ferry prices and the need for a fixed link, bridge or tunnel. It's a favourite topic with the moan with Joan brigade.
I know the logistics and the costs can be high but so many people move here then complain because it's costly to get back to see their families, fair enough, but why moan when they know it takes a ferry to travel over the Solent and it costs money?🤔
They didn't move here by road and then the Solent appeared over night.
Now, a fixed link would cost god knows how many millionsto change the infrastruture at Portsmouth and where the tunnel/ bridge arrives on the island.
A lot of these people have not seen the Channel tunnel lay out obviously.
It would be smaller but would still need so much space for it.
Our roads are not exactly wide either and some can be a challenge so with an increase on cars and traffic some of those would need to be widened.
It would impact on the environment immensely and probably trash the tranquility and natural beauty of the place which are some of the reasons people move here.
So, when idiots are in the local newspapers [ small groups 'protesting' with their placards 'Fixed link NOW' Have they really thought past their narrow little ideas of the bigger implications if it went ahead?
But the main thing is and here is the best bit, they expect the taxpayer to bloody well fund it !
So please give what ever you can to finance this project that will only benefit a tiny percentage of the country, a coffee morning or sponsored walk /sitting in a bath of baked beans. It all helps.
Or we could just laugh at them and say on your bike [or ferry]😀

I think a bridge is not possible due to the big ferries coming into Portsmouth, among other things

True, but the argument is that they could go in the other direction around the island, that would mean more cost to the shipping lines, can't see them going with that.
These fixed linkers are so narrow in their thinking.

If they built it, the same people would be protesting that only islanders should be able to use it. 😂

There’d be a toll for all mainlanders.

I hear you OP.

And don't even start me on the people who retire to the island, then discover it's quite tricky and expensive to get to the inevitable hospital appointments that they will need on the mainland 🙄

Plus house prices would go through the roof and you wouldn’t be able to move for tourists in the summer!

It's mainly older peeps who protest and whine about the costs, with the Daily Fail sad faces in the local rags, have seem them at Ryde ferry terminal and sometimes at East Cowes. It's like a day out for them to moan to any poor sod who looks over at them. We generally ignore them.
It's wanting to get the government via the taxpayers to pay for it that really annoys me. Cost of living and everything else that is a problem in jolly old Britain that needs fixing 🙄and they expect a fixed link.

I live on the mainland just over from the island and love going over there. I would hate a bridge to be built, it would defnitely spoil the place. However, the ferry prices are absolutely outrageous and a big reason why tourism is falling on the island. That's what needs to be sorted. I know islanders get a ferry discount but it's not much.

Also a nearby mainlander that visits regularly. They can't build a bridge to Portsmouth it's not just big ships from Portsmouth but all the big Southampton ones come that way too because it's too narrow/shallow past Hurst Castle. So a tunnel. Nowhere to put a terminus in Portsmouth unless you dig up Southsea Common or have it in Eastney, how about Gosport. Well the traffic would render that totally impracticable.

Wouldn't they put a tunnel/bridge near Hurst Castle anyway? It's the shortest crossing, so cheapest, and if you say it's shallow there that's an advantage for tunnels (depending on seabed material).

It's interesting, but obviously a bad idea in general. The Western Isles have recently said they definitely don't want a tunnel to the mainland, presumably because they've seen what's happened to Skye with their bridge, and they don't want that for the Western Isles.

The government won’t even pay to fix the main A road between Manchester and Sheffield which is suffering from numerous land slips. Going to cost hundreds of millions apparently and they’ve told the local councils it’s their problem. chances are the road might close permanently in the future.

so if they won’t pay for that then no way are they going to build a tunnel to the Isle of Wight. Would a bridge be possible from an engineering pov? Even if it is it would cost a fortune.

As a big fan of the Isle of Wight, having holidayed there for nearly 50 years, a bridge and more traffic will destroy all the reasons why we love the island.

As a big fan of the Isle of Wight, having holidayed there for nearly 50 years, a bridge and more traffic will destroy all the reasons why we love the island.

They’d be better off focusing on getting a better link /bridge from one side of Cowes to the other because that’s a pita.

A fixed link would most likely be Yarmouth to lymington which is considerably shorter and less built up. The issue is that land is partly a nature reserve

I thought part of the attraction of living there was it being an island.

I do, however, think there need to be affordable links in and out. I know CalMac isn’t currently a beacon of great service but when I’ve looked at the fees to travel they seem reasonable and tiny compared to IoW ferries.

Certainly wouldn’t help the big traffic jams in Lyndhurst either!

Btw it’s still nearly 2 miles to clear the marshes, so unlikely to get funded

Could they not campaign for the ferry operators to charge less for those who live on the Island. Maybe something similar to a railcard but can only be issued with a proof of address. Or do they already do that?

Many islanders myself included do not want a fixed link just for the island to swallowed up by Portsmouth [no disrespect to Portsmouth but it is a city].
It's our way of life on the island and why should the few spoil it for the majority? Don't like it don't move here, quite simple.
Another thing that concerns me that as a fixed link it could be determinatal to our red squirrels. The odd one when discovered over here and is put down, and although I know squirrels can't drive 😁they would find a way to get here with a link which is concerning.

I love the IOW and go most years via Lymington. The ferry is pricy but I relax as soon as on it...like going abroad cos on a boat across the sea!

We have discounts for cars etc but the costs are still high for a lot of people. It more depends when you travel. Also people complain about bad service but the figures don't add up to it being 'terrible' considering the number of crossings made a day. Sometimes they might be short staffed or there is a mechanical /safety problem, but some idiots want the ferry to sail regardless.
I was returning home from Portsmouth years ago and the ferry was held up at Portsmouth before we left dock because someone was suddenly taken ill on the ferry and needed an ambulance. There were some morons moaning because we were delayed by 20 minutes although a tannoy message went out to inform everyone.🙄

We keep our boat on the Hamble and frequently visit the IoW; it's a world away from the madness and speed of life on the mainland. A link would destroy island life - and that's before you take into account the logistics of navigation in the Solent and its approaches.

I have no doubt the moan and Joan brigade point to the Skye link as an example of how it would work, completely ignoring the vast difference in geography and demographics.

The very idea of a link is madness; I would willingly join any well-organised protest group if push ever came to shove.

Nowhere to put a terminus near Hurst Spit either I agree, lots of open space but as a PP says its nature reserve and then small towns / New Forest national park with horrendous traffic in summer as it is. I imagine IOW residents would want it to be into Southampton or Portsmouth for shopping/hospitals whatever and fast rail/road links not having to trek through the New Forest.

Majority of us don't want the link end of. The moan with Joan lot seem to think that the tax payer will have to pay for it for some mad reason.
As far as the Joan lot go they seem to be more retirees that have moved over here.🙄