Local MPs, Geoffrey Cox QC (Torridge & West Devon) and Peter Heaton Jones (North Devon) met the Minister for Transport, Nus Ghani, to discuss the prospects of the construction of a passenger ferry at Appledore Shipyard.
The Scillonian III is a passenger ferry connecting Penzance with the Isles of Scilly and was built at Appledore in 1977. The discussions with the Transport Minister focused on whether a new ferry could be built at Appledore in the near future to help maintain the operations of the yard and preserve the jobs of the highly skilled workforce.
In November 2018, Mr Cox facilitated an introduction between the senior management of the Isle of Scilly Steamship Group and Babcock.
Following discussion with the Minister for Transport, the MPs commented: “Our meeting with the Minister was extremely useful. She has agreed to make further enquiries with the ferry company to pursue what plans the company has to build a new ship.
“The analysis shows that the preparatory work which needs to be in place in order for the project to begin is far from complete but we will co-operate with all stakeholders to explore this opportunity.”
