Knott End to Fleetwood ferry service saved after £80,000 investment from Councils

An historic Lancashire ferry serving the rural communities of Knott End, Pilling and Preesall with Fleetwood has been saved. 

The route, which dates back to 1841, received £80,000 in extra funding at a meeting of Lancashire County Council's (LCC) cabinet.

The costs of running the ferry service have increased "substantially" over the past four-years, with LCC and Wyre Council providing money to secure the future of the service, which carries more than 30,000 passengers.

They will increase its subsidy to the ferry by £10,000 to £52,103 annually, with Wyre Council matching this increased contribution.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the service was considerably reduced, and Wyre Marine forecast the service would continue to lose money due to increasing costs.

The ferry operator hopes to generate additional money which could come through fare increases. 

County Councillor Charles Edwards, Lancashire’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: "Over 30,000 people use this service every year. To them, its value can’t be over-stated.

"If colleagues at Wyre Council and I had decided not to increase the funding, the service would have ceased. 

"As a result, many of those people would have either had to drive the 12 miles or use the bus, which takes well over an hour.

"The ferry is a low-cost, low-carbon option and is a historic tourist attraction for the county. Currently, it only costs £2 per trip; £1 for babies and 50p for a dog."

Fleetwood Ferry’s skipper of 18 years, Tony Cowell, said: "People love the Ferry, it’s a great job and a great asset. 

"Securing the additional funding that is needed for us to continue to operate is fantastic news and the whole crew are really pleased that we will be able to keep providing this service for people.

"A huge thank you to Lancashire County Council and Wyre Council."