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Wigtlink's Lymington ferries could face ban under new rules

12:28pm Saturday 20th June 2009 in News

Ferries could face ban under new rules Ferries could face ban under new rules

CONTROVERSIAL new larger ferries operating between Lymington and Yarmouth could be banned under new Government rules designed to protect the environment.

The Wightlink ferries could be stopped under regulations due to be introduced in October banning any environmentally damaging operations on the water.

Part of the ferries’ route – The Lymington River – is already protected under the European Union’s Habitats Directive.

But up until now that protection has only applied to land, not water.

Now the Government’s department for food and rural affairs (DEFRA) wants to alter the Habitats Directive to include the waterway itself.

The Lymington River Association, which is taking action in the High Court in a bid to stop Wightlink’s ferries,welcomed the possibility of new legislation.

Chairman Marcus Malanathy said the proposed changes “are exactly what we want”.

“There was a huge void where no one would grasp the nettle and deal with the gigantic ships on the Lymington River,” he said.

Lymington Society spokesman Dr Donald MacKenzie said: “Hopefully once the law is in place, the minister will be able to reexamine the continued use by Wightlink of the new W Class ferries despite clear evidence from Natural England that they are likely to cause significant harm to the river.”

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Government conservation advisory body Natural England has said: “The introduction of the W class ferries can be expected to prolong ferry-induced impacts on intertidal habitats and consequently further losses are likely to be attributable to ferry operations even when mitigated by recent reductions in speed.”

Wightlink marketing manager Kerry Jackson said she was aware of the DEFRA consultation process.

She said: “It’s only a consultation process.

There’s nothing really I can say about it.”

Comments(23)

madmatt says...
12:41pm Sat 20 Jun 09

Think about it, in about 100 years time, half of Hampshire will already be under-water, so being on the coast, how long will it take Lymington, to be under the water and all of the natural environment will be lost anyway, so stop these silly arguments and let Wightlink carry on with its business with these boats.

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southy says...
12:44pm Sat 20 Jun 09

this rule will stop any new docks and new marina's and dredging off any channel, all water going vessel large and small will have to stop using the waterway, wonder if Lymington Society spokesman Dr Donald MacKenzie thought about this all his yachty will not beloud to use the water way, because they will cause just has much damage.

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bumblysaint says...
2:31pm Sat 20 Jun 09

It's a sad fact but
they might as well let the ferries use the river.
They were not wanted
by many in the first place but as usual no
notice was taken of
the locals.
Lymington has been
ruined by the planners so a lot of
people have just about given up, having a say in anything in the future seems unlikely
as money is the God
in our town now.
Of course we knew this would happen,
that's the reason Lymington was kept outside the National
Park,so they can do just as they please to the Town and the
river and there's not
a **** thing anybody can do about it.
Talk about shifty
dealing.

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Nothing to say says...
3:38pm Sat 20 Jun 09

The Ferry company should pull out of Lymington all together. The town would then lose jobs and income, but of course all the yachty set won't give a toss.


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Andy Locks Heath says...
3:40pm Sat 20 Jun 09

The Lymingotnians I spoke to generally recognised the importance of the ferry link and the preposterous stance of the LRA who are simply trying to exert power for its own sake. These new ferries are no more damaging than the old ones and certainly less damaging to the river than the aggregate impact of the leisure craft. Many students in west Wight depend on these ferries to get to Brock college every day not to mention business, transport and tourism on the isalnd and this stupid political posturing by a group of bombasts and pedants will damage their education. If the ferry service is disrupted because of the LRA I will happily kick their fat 4rses into the precious river (if I can find a square metre not occupied by a yacht)

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goard says...
3:41pm Sat 20 Jun 09

Its a case of them and us, I feel locals, and many are wiser than any of the DEFRA bods - and that is just what DEFRA is - a group of people who have questionable qualifications. May I ask did any of these so called knoweldgeable people have experience in coastal and riverways - were they local and fully acquinrws with our particular area? It saddens me that unelected are hopping onto the bandwagon just to have a job.

goard

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OSPREYSAINT says...
3:56pm Sat 20 Jun 09

I recently paid a visit to Lymington to see for nyself, the Wight Sun came in and there was barely a ripple of a bow-wave, another smaller ferry boat came and went with a bow wave that was vastly more apparent, I could not see a problem with the larger boat at all except the passenger egress at Lymington and we all know whose fault that is..... Security word fair-boat uncanny!

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Waiting says...
4:12pm Sat 20 Jun 09

Lets save the environment and all drive to Southampton to catch the ferry???????????

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southy says...
6:09pm Sat 20 Jun 09

Waiting wrote:
Lets save the environment and all drive to Southampton to catch the ferry???????????
lymington ferry takes 20% off the trade crossing to the island, nd to close it down or even reduce it, would over load southampton and would do the same to porthsmouth. maybe they should put a tax levy on vessel owners on days or weeks when they dont use the vessel.

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huckit P says...
7:10pm Sat 20 Jun 09

Once Wightlink have had enough and pull out of Lymington let those who suffer complain directly to the LRA and its "officers".

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sotonbusdriver says...
7:17pm Sat 20 Jun 09

I don't know why WIGHTLINK don't just pull out of the area... Leaving the lot of you miserable old foggies to it.

After all without the visitors that use the ferry...

I seriously hope that LYMINGTON GOES BUST... and YARMOUTH issue a law suit for their loss of business...

That would teach the dam lot of your miserable moaners

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Andy Locks Heath says...
7:47pm Sat 20 Jun 09

I am going to join the Lymington Society and the LRA to expose their lack of diligence and anti commercial snobbery. If they are so concerned with the river why are they not campaigning to close and fill in the Marinas that were excavated from the very estuary they claim to be so concerned about. It is possibly because that is where they keep their yachts.
Goard - I know as much about the River and its development over the last 50 years an anybody - and believe me - the new ferries do not cause any more damage than their predecessors - and a lot less cumulative damage than the leisure traffic.

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IanRRR says...
12:13am Sun 21 Jun 09

The old ferries have been scrapped. The new ferries are similar to those used all over the world. They cause absolutely no damage at all. They are lovely to travel on and provide a great service. Someone needs to get through to the LRA that there is absolutely nothing that they can do to stop them being used. Lets hope that Wightlink win the case, and the costs awarded against the LRA are so high that it sends LRA into bankruptcy. Then Lymington will have control over its own destiny again. Not ONE post on here supporting LRA! Let public opinion be known....

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gungerdin says...
9:34am Sun 21 Jun 09

Andy Locks Heath wrote:
The Lymingotnians I spoke to generally recognised the importance of the ferry link and the preposterous stance of the LRA who are simply trying to exert power for its own sake. These new ferries are no more damaging than the old ones and certainly less damaging to the river than the aggregate impact of the leisure craft. Many students in west Wight depend on these ferries to get to Brock college every day not to mention business, transport and tourism on the isalnd and this stupid political posturing by a group of bombasts and pedants will damage their education. If the ferry service is disrupted because of the LRA I will happily kick their fat 4rses into the precious river (if I can find a square metre not occupied by a yacht)
How far is Locks bl**dy heath from Lymington?
There he goes again this stupid interfering whatsit.
Keep you snout out of our tough.
When locks whatever its called becomes a part of the western edge then I'm goina move away.
FED UP with PIGS and TOUGHS.
Next you will be in charge of the IoW I don't wonder.

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Andy Locks Heath says...
10:26am Sun 21 Jun 09

It may have escaped your attention but you don't have to live in the same place all your life or did that simple thought escape you? If you don't know where Locks Heath is it is no wonder you cannot even figure out whether you live in Hythe or Marchwood. (Dibden perhaps?) So, care to explain pigs and "toughs" Who are the pigs - the ferry employees? British Rail, who ran the service for nearly 50 years? Lymington residents? Weekend yachties with second homes in Queen Katherine Road? People who live in West Wight? Who exactly? And in what way is it your "tough?" anyway? Perhaps you must be one of the pigs then. Answer intelligently or show yourself up as thick - it's up to you.

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NewForestStu says...
12:40pm Sun 21 Jun 09

This 'Lymington Society' lot really get my back up. The town has been raped for years by greedy developers and people trying to make a quick buck. Keep banging on about the ferries but what has been done to stop the town being completely runied for the second home brigade.

My parents had the joys of the developers next door whereby 2 houses were buldozed to get 12 semis on the same parcel of land. I advised them to get in touch with this 'society' as i thought they may be interested in trying to stop or decrease the number of homes jammed in, their response?....were not interested in the slightest. Move south of the high street and these self appointed idiots are crying because the developers have now moved into the 'richer' parts of town where all the yachties live.....low and behold everyone is up in arms because it now affects the rich. My parents went through the hassle of dealing with the shonky developers and i now hope the developers get back onto track and go full bore with the town. The place has been ruined and the true locals are all leaving in their droves. As for the ferries, let Wightlink get on and provide a vital service that meets a lot of peoples and commerces needs. In ways i would like Wightlink to pull the plug so as to really see some action against this Lymington Society. God forbid though that the ferry operator pulls out, the train line would then not be needed, that could go and the Society could pull down the railway bridge to create more marinas. Bet there would be no complaints then about dredging and damage to the river.

RIP Lymington, such a lovely town being destroyed by Londoners. Rant over

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B. L. says...
2:15pm Sun 21 Jun 09

Andy Locks Heath wrote:
It may have escaped your attention but you don't have to live in the same place all your life or did that simple thought escape you? If you don't know where Locks Heath is it is no wonder you cannot even figure out whether you live in Hythe or Marchwood. (Dibden perhaps?) So, care to explain pigs and "toughs" Who are the pigs - the ferry employees? British Rail, who ran the service for nearly 50 years? Lymington residents? Weekend yachties with second homes in Queen Katherine Road? People who live in West Wight? Who exactly? And in what way is it your "tough?" anyway? Perhaps you must be one of the pigs then. Answer intelligently or show yourself up as thick - it's up to you.
I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that this person is not too wild about you, just a slight feeling. He posted a similar comment on the article about sheep being attacked and I didn't understand that one and then I read this article, still don't understand. I think there may be a bit of animosity coming from this one.
Did you by any chance pee on his cereal at some time ?

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B. L. says...
2:17pm Sun 21 Jun 09

Or is it troll feeding time ?

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Andy Locks Heath says...
4:41pm Sun 21 Jun 09

Not sure BL, I don't mind people having a pop at me but gungerdin doesn't seem to know exactly what he /she stands for! I guess I must be one of those mysterious "fat cats".

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Andy Locks Heath says...
4:57pm Sun 21 Jun 09

Spot on Stu. I remember my Gran chasing Forest ponies out of her garden and she lived down near the Banks! Now the forest and its ways are kept at arms length because they got in the way of the Volvo estates coming in for a weekend's sailing. Isn't there a strange parallel in this anecdote and what is happening to the ferries? This town once embodied the "old" Forest values - now it has become little more than a Londoner's idea of what a twee little Hampshire town should be - like every other twee little town. The Red Lion is now Cafe Uno, The International Stores are now La Senza, and every shop on the Quay is dedicated to selling things that you can only afford if you don't work in Lymington. Sell up and sell out is what every native did - and now the Lymington Society pretends it is looking after the interests of the town. Yeah, right. Anything to add, Gungerdin?

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NewForestStu says...
10:21am Mon 22 Jun 09

Don't forget the Crown and Anchor, Fighting **** and the numerous other places that have long shut down for develpment. Unfortunatley, unlike my parents, i wasn't around in times when the quay was where no-one wanted to live, my how times have changed. Roll on the winter seasons, at least the place gets back to some sort of normailty. When you said ponies down bythe banks most Londoners would think you meant Barclays or LLoyds!!!!! I understand things have to change and that there are housing shortages, it's just such a shame that Lymington, like most of the south coast is now the hinterland for the capital money grabbers.

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Andy Locks Heath says...
12:36pm Mon 22 Jun 09

I remember the Old Crown and Anchor Stu, at the end of South Street. I even drank there a few times when I was feeling brave. Not the sort of pub that today's residents would have liked on their doorstep! Remember the Angel Tap? That place took all my summer wages every week when I was a student back in the seventies - and it was worth every penny!

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NewForestStu says...
2:52pm Mon 22 Jun 09

Angel Tap indeed, mind you when i was drinking there in my early years it was fine but towards the mid 90's it turned into a bit of a hoodlums establishment!!! That said, was still a good for the starting point for the evening. And now....the courtyard has gone all upmarket, don't understand why the bar is still not there as it is empty.

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