23
Dec
Hopes for Wales ferry link by 2010
WORK is continuing behind the scenes to make a ferry link
between Ilfracombe, South Wales and Somerset a reality by 2010.
Ilfracombe councillors Geoff Fowler, Paul Yabsley and Colin Wright
have just returned from an encouraging meeting in Bristol designed
to pull together the numerous local authorities involved and
hopefully whet the appetites of private investors. The event was
set up by ferry expert Chris Marrow, who has been leading the
project to establish a Severn Sea Ferries service to ply the waters
between Penarth, Burnham and Ilfracombe and from Swansea to
Ilfracombe and Minehead. The meeting was hosted by SWAIN (the South
West Angel and Investor Network) plus its Welsh counterpart Xenos,
both of which work to introduce investors - or "business angels" -
to exciting new projects. Ilfracombe Mayor and county councillor
Geoff Fowler explained: "The two of them are fronting a series of
meetings and it's about pulling together all potential interested
parties and members of the future Severn Sea Ferries company to
really push the project forward. "It was evident there was an awful
lot of expertise in the marine and ferry industries and certainly
support all around the room for the project, which was satisfying
for Chris Marrow after all the hard work he has done." He said he
would continue working closely with Ilfracombe's district
councillors Mr Yabsley - who is also chairman of the Harbour Board
- and Mr Wright, to build momentum on the Devon side of the
channel, while councils in Wales and Somerset do the same. A press
release from SWAIN said several of their investors who attended
expressed interest in the project, one of whom has already invested
£50,000. "Both business angel networks have pledged their
support for the scheme and will be hosting another joint event
early next year," it said. Chris Marrow said the event had proved
"extremely positive." "Of those who said they would come, 47 of the
48 turned up, which is almost unheard of and just shows the levels
of interest a Bristol Channel ferry service would provoke," he told
the Gazette.