Chief Minister unable to confirm final cost of Isle of Man ferry terminal in Liverpool

  • Chief Minister Alfred Cannan spoke to ITV's Isle of Man reporter Joshua Stokes at the terminal

The Chief Minister of the Isle of Man was unable to confirm the final cost of the island's ferry terminal in Liverpool, during a visit to the facility.

Early estimations suggest the terminal could cost around £70m, which is £32m over the original budget set by the Manx government.

Responding to how much it may cost, Alfred Cannan said: "From a capital project perspective, it has cost us a lot of money - far more than one would have wished - but we are where we are".

Alfred Cannan was in Liverpool to sign a 'Memorandum of Understanding' with Liverpool leaders, solidifying ties between the island and the north west.

Both Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram and councillor Liam Robinson signed the document, saying there will be 'greater collaboration' with the Isle of Man going forward.

Steve Rotheram said: "There are things that we both have in common that we can work together on, such as energy, health and business growth.

"So there are things that will tangibly come from the meetings that we have."

The Isle of Man Ferry Terminal is situated in Liverpool, serving as a key travel route to the Isle of Man. Credit: Isle of Man Government
Isle of Man ferry terminal begins operating after years of delay and overspend

While the Isle of Man Ferry Terminal has been operating since June 2024, the Chief Minister says the government is still 'tidying up the contractual bits and pieces' around costs.

Work originally began in 2019, with a planned completion date due during the summer of 2021.

However, this was delayed due to Covid-19, the discovery of unexploded WWII bombs, and issues surrounding the reinforcement of river walls.

Despite the delayed opening and overspend, Alfred Cannan said: "It is a fantastic building, it is a piece of the Isle of Man in Liverpool.

"We are able to promote the island as a result of it, we're giving people the right experiences in terms of their travel to the island and this will have a permanent presence now on UK soil in this fantastic city of Liverpool for decades and decades to come".

When asked when the full cost of the terminal would be revealed, he said: "I think it's right for the treasury minister to come forward when we've got a true and accurate figure - it's pointless speculating".

He then confirmed that treasury would bring the final cost of the terminal to Tynwald 'in the coming months'.

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