BRIDGING THE GAP the economic and social impact on islands in Scotland, Canada and France I Ill 'm quite sure that if you took a vote today to ask people if they wanted to take the bridge out, there wouldn't be very many who would want to go back to the ferry. Prince Edward Island premier, Pat Binns "You can't view it from the window of an aircraft and not he awed by . this remarkable feat Of modern construction. There is • also every indication that the bridge is presenting economic opportunities. Another article in the paper focuses on the effects of the bridge on . the town of Borden- Carleton. once totally dependent on incomes earned by ferry workers. one year on from its opening. It tells of the construction of the Gateway Village. a 29-acre complex aimed at attracting tourists with exhibition pavilion. visitor infor- mation centre. food and ten retail outlets. "Borden-Carleton. is adjusting to a new economy generated by the development of Gateway Village and other related business- es." Next door the Prince Edward Island Emporium is under construction, a 90111 sq ft complex with retail entertainment and food services. The town also now boasts a new industrial park and business centre. where the newest occupant of a 211,000 sq It unit is bringing 3(1 to 35 more jobs to the town_ Another article interviews some of the 650 former ferry workers thrown out of work by the bridge. Although there is no official tally. one for- mer worker estimated just 20 per cent had found jobs in the ensuing year. On the plus side. signs Of an accelerated pace of life and rampant crime feared by bridge opponents were hard to find. . Island Premier Pat Binns was unable to name a serious negative impact of the bridge. He told The Guardian: - I'm quite sure that if you took a vote today to ask people if they wanted to take the bridge out, there wouldn't he very many who would want to go back to the ferry. Mr Binns said economic 'indicators had improved in the last year with retail spending up and April 1998 figures showed a 14.6 per cent unemployment rate. down a percentage point from a year earlier. A recent Bank of Montreal forecast said the ItSWer transportation costs and improved accessibility provided by the bridge would fuel sustained economic growth in the province. One convert it benefits of the bridge is Pauline Thomson. a former campaigner against the link..which was the subject of a referrendum. She told The Guardian: 71 would have very gladly helped somebody tear it down when they v, ere building it." Mrs Thomson feared it would ruin her beautiful island. But now. though she's still occasionally nos- talgic forthe ferries. she concedes the bridge is a prod thing. "11 - s just so much faster to go StIMeWlICIC. - There are others. however. such as Belly !Iowan, who-remain vehemently opposed to the bridge. She has not driven across it and has no intention of crossing it. She says there was alw ays a sense of restful- ness. of peace when Ira\ eller. got to the ferry to cross to the island. Nov,. she sass. speed demons from the mainland make (kit . ing perilous On PEI's country highways. And the roads into Charlottetown arc so clogged with tourists in the summer she has given up trying to see shows at the Confederation Centre. • . The biggest problem in the first year of operations was the number of times high winds closed the bridge to truck traffic — 16 closings between Noseniber and March. lkspite this the bridge always remained open to cars. The private firm. Strait Crossing Bridge. w- hick operates the bridge. will not reseal the number of travellers who used it but it is believed the venture is making a tidy profit. A spokesman Michel LeChasseur told The Gnu/Wiwi: "The only comment I can make is that management is satisfied with the first vear's result." Guardian editor Gary MacDougall told the CP that while the bridge had increased tourism hugely .. it had also changed the shape of the industry. -When the ferries were running people would stay longer on PEI- and now more visitors conic for the day." he said. 'Flie toll booths are at the PEI side of the bridge and charges are around C14 for a return journey. Agriculture is the main industry of the island. which is particularly well-known as a potato exporter. followed by tourism and then fisheries. The island is 145 miles long. but is very narrow. measuring just a mile or so across at sonic points. The bridge which joined L'ile de Re to the mainland in 1988.The island's population has been growing continuously for the last 20 years and numbers have increased con- siderably since the bridge was opened. Tourism up ten-fold after French island link opens T1 IL island of Ude de Re off south west France was linked to the mainland by a 1.8 - mile bridge in 1988. Main income of the island is tourism and the pop- ulation of 15.000 is multiplied a massive len-fold in the summer numths. A huge 55 per cent of the housing stock are second homes and consequently the permanent population occupies milt 9.1 per cent of the theoretical bed capacity. Population has been growing continuously- tor the last 211 years and numbers have increased consider- ably since the bridge was opened. Return toll charge toi - the bridge is just under C7 in the w inter — at an exchange rate of nine francs to the C — rising to just user C12 in the summer months for visitots. But residents can get across for just under C2 return antl a yearly pass Can he purchased for around El III. In- 1997 a total of 2.192.367 vehicles crossed the bridge of which 868.000 were in the three summer months. The island is about 19 miles long and about two miles wide. Like the 1W. 26 per cent of its population are retired people. Thirty per cent of the pOpulation arc t v t. )114 ica I v active and of these. 30 per cent com- mute to the mainland to work. The island has 85S companies. of which 37 per cent are commercial and 19 per cent are Innels and restattrants, The year the bridge opened visitors increased by I 1 per cent. In 1987 there were 679,000 people who crossed to the island by boat and this rose to I.S1N1, INN1 on the bridge by 1993. Bridge has not brought more jobs to Skye ONE of the world's longest bridges spanning almost nine miles and opened between Prince Edward Island and the Canadian mainland in May, 1997. C1.311 a single journey. The difference between Sloe and the proposed fixed link for the 1kV is that the cross-Solent ferries would con- tinue. although it is thought likely that at least one operater would fold. Ileyr hee.Presy editor Ian McCormack said: "As part of the Skye bridge package the lion got ernment insisted Caledonian Macliravne with- draw the ferry sot ice because it did not want the ferries to compete will the bridge. "Continuing the terries would hate reduced income from the bridge and taken longer to pay ell the loans." said Mr McCormack. The bridge tolls were set at slightly less than the pro ious terry fares. The paper was a staunch opponent. not of the concept of a bridge. but of the tolls. -One Of our main arguments is that there is no alternative access lOr most of the year," he said. During the three-month 'high' sea- son small ferries to Skye. cost of getting across the bridge to the Isle of Skye for regular users. is less than a motorist pays to cross the River Medina on the 1 . W. Yet residents, councillors and pres- sure groups in the Scottish Highlands are outraged that there is a toll at all and have mounted a vigorous cam- paign to persuade the government to remove all tolls. The 500-yard bridge which links the Scottish mainland to Sloe officially opened to traffic in mid-tktober. 1995. It cost around C80 million to build through a private finance initiative with £9 million link roads paid for by the government. The local newspaper which is based On and includes Skye. the ltcsi Highland free Press. said the bridge has been good for the tourist industry. despite the cost of a single crossing of 1:511 8 1 4:1 regular users can buy hooks of tickets at discounted rates. which for 20 tickets brings the price down to just which has a population at around 10.01111. The number of isitoi s rocketed from 2711.36 I in 1995 to 357.396 the fol- lowing year, when the bridge opened. although numbers fell back slightly in 1997 to 336.930. Unemployment in the local council area of Skye and Lochalsh has not real- ly improved since the bridge was built according to Anthony Standing. Job- centre manager on Skye. With more than a third of the jobs on the Island involved in the tourist indus- try. the numbers of jobless fluctuates according to the season. "I don't think the bridge has made much difference. -LInemployment has dropped eYery. where in the region. but less here than in other parts of the Highlands. "llnrmploymenI in Sky e and Lochalsh is about six per cent at the moment but in the next couple of months it will rise to around I I per cent. making it the second worst in the Ilighland region." said Mr Standing. Ile said he was aware of two compa- nies which had been considering relo- cating to Skye but had gone elsewhere because of the bridge tolls which are more than £26 single for an HUN. "I can't name the firms, but they would have brought up to 41) jobs to" Skye." said Mr Standing. Opponents of tolls are citing the fact that research conducted on behalf of the Highland Council into the effect of tolls on tourism showed that up to 50 cars a day were doing a 11-turn at the bridge because of high charges. Cllr Allan Beaton. chairman of the Skye and Loekalsh committee of the I lighland Council said: "This survey confirms our tears that Skye is losing valuable tourist business because of these high tolls. "The Highland Council must contin- ue to fight to have this unfair burden removed." Campaigners argue that the removal of tolls would add C2.5 million to the Skye economy and increase tourist v k- its- by ten per cent. A NEW era for business was forecast when one of the world's longest bridges, spanning almost nine miles, opened between Prince Edward Island (PEI) and the Canadian mainland in May, 1997. Tempting promises were made over the Intuit, prosperity the bridge would bring for the Island which. with 136.000 residents. has a slightly larger population than the IW. Opening publicity material predicted mil- lions of dollars were expected to he saved annually as delays in the shipment of goods and services were eliminated. The province was also expecting an increase in tourist traffic from the 740,0110 visitors who came to PEI mainly In fern in 1996. The CP contacted the Island's local newspa- per. hit' Guardian. based in Charlottetown, to see if the predictions lived up to reality IS months on from the opening ceremony. In a story published on October 19 this year. the incoming president of the PH ToMism Industry Association. Mel Gass. said he was not surprised that the industry' had had anoth- er record-breaking year in 1998. His Silverwood Motel in Cavendish wel- comed just 12 guests in September. 1970. but this September a total of 1.200 people stayed. It is estimated that by the end of the season 1.26 million visitors will have visited the island. boosting the economy I - a total of 1112 mil- lion. The previous year. the first after the Confederation Bridge opened. there was a tt hopping 57 per cent rise in tourism. largely due to its opening. However. the fact that the length of stay of tourists fell. lends weight to arguments from the tourist industry being put forward on the [Won the effects of a fixed link. Length of stay for business travellers fell by II per cent while pleasure visitors stays dipped by one per cent. adding fuel to concerns that the bridge is indeed enticing more day trip- pc rs. Around 82.000 visitors were day trippers. The bridge. hailed around the world as a teat of engineering with spans rising to 197 ft above the often ice-hound -Northumberland Strait • cost around £400 million (Can. S1 bil- lion) and its construction took 3' .• years. Under an agreement the Canadian federal government will make 35 annual payments of C16.7 million to a consortium of Canadian companies called Strait Crossing Develop- ment Inc. which built the bridge. The deVeloper will keep the revenue gener- ated by the bridge tolls for the next 35 years. after which the bridge will become the proper- ty of the federal government_ In an editorial just over a year after the opening of the bridge. 11w Guardian spoke of the drovCs of visitors who came to PEI in the surnm4r. and described the Confederation Bridge as a remarkable visuataid. It said: -Rather than diminish our aware- ness of being an island, the bridge has enhanced it. "You can't approach the bridge by car with- wit knowing you're crossing a mighty stretch if water. 18 ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY PRESS — FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1998 can be done but do we want it? T HE recent publication of one of the most important documents vital to the very future of the IW as an island has sparked renewed debate about a fixed link to the mainland. The prospect of such a link is not new — almost a century ago in 1900 permission was given for a railway fixed link since the early '90s, said it will attempt to interest construction companies in taking the venture a stage further. The two main sponsors of the recent first phase study were Linkland and Wight Training and Enterprise. with - financial contributions from some Island businesses. The report suggested a possible opening year for a fixed link of 2005. given the necessary consents. tunnel under the Solent — but the strong feelings it engenders have not lessened over the years. - The unique and'special nature of the Island would almost certainly be destroyed but would the benefits bring greater prosperity and more jobs to the south's economic blackspot? The feasibility study into a fixed link compiled by mainland specialist con- sultants and international consultants KPMG, came to the conclusion that overall the effects on the economy would be positive. This week the County Press takes an in-depth look at the £100,000 report, the long history of the fixed link proposals and how such links have affected other communities. both in this country and abroad. We are publishing some of the report, although it should be pointed out that some of the figures contained in it are disputed. The main conclusion of the feasibili- ty study was that the construction of a link was technically feasible and finan- cially viable. It would have a significant and posi- tive impact on the economy of the Island, although a further £1 million study was needed to assess environ- mental and traffic implications. Now Linkland, a mainland consor- tium which has been examining the development and construction of a It concluded that not only would the project be self-financing, a proposed £30 return fare for a car would gener- ate surplus funds to pay for its related infrastructure and provide what is described as a 'dividend' to the Island. Three different types of link were examined, a bored tunnel, a bridge and an immersed tube tunnel with the latter being chosen as the most attrac- tive option. • Continued on facing page. DISTINCT CHANGES THE actual construction of the link would be one of the largest civil engineer- ing projects in the region. "The .costs associated with this project are in the range of [185 million to £770 million." said the report. But the likely cost would he between £200 to £300 million spread over three to four years. - In calculating the employ- ment effects of this. it was assumed that expenditure of £70,000 will support one job for a year in the construction industry. The likely level of job cre- ation would he around 1,00 jobs, during the three to four year project. But - these would he spread across the whole• of the UK and only a small proportion would accrue to Islanders. depending on what skills they could offer. The KPMG business survey confirmed that if commuting to the mainland becomes a realistic possibility as a result of the fixed link. Island busi- nesses would have to pay more to keep their current work- force. House prices would also rise and could he pushed up fur- ther by prospective second home owners. previously deterred by the high cost of vehicle ferry crossings. On the impact of toll pric- ing. the report said if the charges only slightly undercut the ferries. the fixed link would still gain a large market share and associated revenues, but the economic benefits would be relatively small. But low tolls, or even free use of the fixed link in the longer term. would maximise economic opportunities for Islanders. although returns to investors would be small. The report concluded: "Overall. the effect of the fixed link on the IW economy will be positive. creating new opportunities for inward investment and increased employment." But it also warned that it would ► alter the character of the Island in a number of dis- tinct ways. "Almost certainly • it will move ► from aquiet, rural. retirement area to a younger, more suburban. dormitory area. "This needs to be recog- nised and accepted by . rest- dents. it the link is to gain political acceptance.- WHY PICK A TUNNEL? ANALYSIS indicated that the immersed tube option was the most attractive financially, although arch- aeological concerns would need to be addressed. Transport analysis revealed that the crossings in the east are likely to generate most rev- enue. Operating costs were ex- pected of around £1.25 million a year for general manage- ment and toll booth operation. The report said there were a number of options in terms of the . structure of finance, although the project was dif- ferent from typical private finance initiative (PFI) trans- actions. This was because financiers would he expected to share the risks associated with the volume of traffic. Because of this, the debt to equity ratio is lower . than in most PFI financings. An examination of results showed that the immersed tun- nel was potentially financeable on all routes: most routes on the bored tunnel option would he financeahle if there was a high volume of traffic but most bridge options did not gener- ate adequate returns, although three could give viable finan- cial returns if traffic volumes were high. TWO-THIRDS OF ISLANDERS OPPOSED FIXED LINK IN LAST POLL PROVIDING a fixed transport link between the Island and mainl a nd Britain is not a new as pon. Throughout the century 'Solent tun- nels or bridges hat e been proposed with regularity. each time arousing fierce controt erSV. But each lime the initiativ e has failed tor the sane reasons — a lack of funding and the absence of.commitment to the idea In the Island community: Fervent supporters have always argued that a link was %nal to the Island's economic growth. • And on the other side. hate been staunch opponents w ho !eared it would unlock the floodgates to a never-ending stream of mainland traffic. They said it would cause a gridlock on Island roads. destroying the special character and charm of the countryside. The most detailed study yet into the feasibility of a fixed link has rekindled a debate on what is arguably the biggest issue flieVg the 1W — its continued exis- tence as an island. land. passing under the Island west of Fort Victoria near Yarmouth. emerging in the valley of the western Yar. It would have crossed the river there to form a triangular junction with the existing line. An electricity generating station at Keyhaven was to supply power for pumping. ventilation and possibly elec- tric traction and stations were planned at Pennington and Keyhat en. Some test bores were made in the Tolland area. but eventually the scheme lapsed after several time extensions. In 1912, with the storm.clouds of the Great War gathering. the government was urged to finance a Solent tunnel as being vital to the Island's defence in case of invasion. The following year an electric tube line between Stokes Bay and Ryde was suggested. There was no progress however by 1914 when Britain was plunged into the First World War. Further attempts to revive the railway tunnel idea after the war were unsuc- cessful. hut. in 1935. the Southern It's an issue that splits Island opinion and perhaps because it is so deeply divi- sive it has repeatedly been buried and then resurrected again a few years later. The prospect of .a Solent tunnel intrigued the entrepreneurs and engi- neers of the late Victorian era. One proposal in 1873 involved a tun- nel between Eaglehurst near Calshot and Cowes and another. in 1881 was for a tunnel linking Portsea and Rydc. Three years later the idea was for a tunnel between Stokes Bay and Ryde Pierhead. with a fort at its midpoint. In 1901 the South Western and IW Junction Railway was formed with pro- , posed €600.(100 capital . The company obtained a parliamen- tary Act to build a seven-mile line link- ing the Lvmington branch of the London and South Western Rail wa y 10 the Freshwater. Yarmouth and Newport Railway through a single-track tunnel under the western Solent. The proposed two-and-a-half mile tunnel was to be built to a maximum depth of 46 it below the Solent, from a point east of Hurst Castle on the main- Railway cane under pressure to breathe new life into the scheme. A postal referendum resulted in tri- umph for supporters of the project. although the idea of levying a special rate to fund the tunnel was rejected. Twenty years later. after the run-down of the Island railway network had begun. the idea of a cross-Solent road and rail bridge to West Wight was hotly-debated. If British Railways put a line across such a bridge and re-opened its recently closed Freshwater to Newport line. it was argued. that this would relieve the burden of road traffic and help freight transport. particularly agricultural pro- duce. to get on and off the Island. The bridge project. costing between £8 and CIO million. was killed off in mid- December 1955. when the county coun- cil voted 21 to 20 to instruct its planning committee to stop further investigations. But this did not stop the contempo- rary journal. The Sphere running it fea- ture on the thorny question Of a bridge just a few weeks later in January 1956. This described how a committee working on a new map for West Wight but when the same idea was re-exam- ined 2t) years later. the forecast had climbed to 1:65 On both occasions. consultants advised the council it was feasible in terms of construction. navigation and finance. But in 1982 the idea was shelY ed. along with an alternative scheme lor a rail tunnel from Hatton. Portsmouth to Rode St John's. The concept of a link has restirfaced periodically since then, notably in 1988 when county councillors resolved not to seek a pre-feasibility study into the eval- uation of a fixed link. In 1990 a project was put forward on the mainland for a power-generating barrage carrying a road across the west- ern Solent. but this found no favour on the Island. Two years later Linkland. then a Winchester-bused engineering consor- tium. first approached the IW Development Board with its proposals for an £18 million single lane tunnel from Ryde to Gosport. asked the then county planning officer Robert Rose, to report on the possibili- ties of a cross-Solent bridge. The resulting report was factual. said The Sphere. but it split the Island. The feature describes a war Of words between diehard opponents, branded Victorian isolationists and so-called pro- gressives. who argued that something must he done -about the Island's strug- gling economy. inconvenient ferry ser- vices and high freight charges. The controversial report was said to have pointed out that a bridge would bring Island prices down to mainland level. attract new light industries and encourage out-of-season visitors. . The' Sphere maintained that a Solent bridge would transfigure the whole Of West Wight with day visitors, making Yarmouth and Freshwater as prosper- ous as Ventnor, Shanklin and Ryde. By 1961 a Solent bridge was hack on the public agenda. but this time the favoured crossing was between Gurnard and Calshot. A cost of C7 million was suggested. Despite a 'phone poll conducted on behalf of the County Press, which showed Islanders were two to one against a fixed link, the consortium pressed ahead with trying to obtain hacking for its plans. By August 1993 the cost had risen to 1:30 million for a 5,140-yard tunnel with a proposed charge of £10 for a return trip in a car. The following year this was upgraded to a two-way link costing £61 million which could he linked with Hampshire County Council's light rapid transit sys- tem. Linkland have, since then, continued to modify its plan to cater for require- ments, although the concept of an immersed tube tunnel has remained unchanged. A feasibility study won the hacking of Wight Training and Enterprise (WTE) and this became a reality through finan- cial backing from KPMG, Island busi- nesses, WTE and Linkland itself.
Isle of Wight County Press coverage of the 1998 Fixed Link Feasibility Study
Jan 17, 2016
Isle of Wight County Press coverage of the 1998 Fixed Link Feasibility Study
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BRIDGING THE GAP the economic and social impact on islands in Scotland, Canada and France
I Ill 'm quite sure that if you took a vote today to ask people if they wanted to take the bridge out,
there wouldn't be very many who would want to go back to the ferry.
Prince Edward Island premier, Pat Binns "You can't view it from the window of an
aircraft and not he awed by. this remarkable feat Of modern construction.
There is • also every indication that the bridge is presenting economic opportunities.
Another article in the paper focuses on the effects of the bridge on. the town of Borden-Carleton. once totally dependent on incomes earned by ferry workers. one year on from its opening.
It tells of the construction of the Gateway Village. a 29-acre complex aimed at attracting tourists with exhibition pavilion. visitor infor-mation centre. food and ten retail outlets.
"Borden-Carleton. is adjusting to a new economy generated by the development of Gateway Village and other related business-es."
Next door the Prince Edward Island Emporium is under construction, a 90111 sq ft complex with retail entertainment and food services.
The town also now boasts a new industrial park and business centre. where the newest occupant of a 211,000 sq It unit is bringing 3(1 to 35 more jobs to the town_
Another article interviews some of the 650 former ferry workers thrown out of work by the bridge.
Although there is no official tally. one for-mer worker estimated just 20 per cent had found jobs in the ensuing year.
On the plus side. signs Of an accelerated pace of life and rampant crime feared by bridge opponents were hard to find.
. Island Premier Pat Binns was unable to name a serious negative impact of the bridge.
He told The Guardian: -I'm quite sure that if you took a vote today to ask people if they wanted to take the bridge out, there wouldn't he very many who would want to go back to the ferry.
Mr Binns said economic 'indicators had improved in the last year with retail spending up and April 1998 figures showed a 14.6 per cent unemployment rate. down a percentage point from a year earlier.
A recent Bank of Montreal forecast said the ItSWer transportation costs and improved accessibility provided by the bridge would fuel sustained economic growth in the province.
One convert it benefits of the bridge is Pauline Thomson. a former campaigner against the link..which was the subject of a referrendum.
She told The Guardian: 71 would have very gladly helped somebody tear it down when they v, ere building it."
Mrs Thomson feared it would ruin her beautiful island.
But now. though she's still occasionally nos-talgic forthe ferries. she concedes the bridge is a prod thing.
"11-s just so much faster to go StIMeWlICIC.- There are others. however. such as Belly
!Iowan, who-remain vehemently opposed to the bridge. She has not driven across it and has no intention of crossing it.
She says there was alw ays a sense of restful-ness. of peace when Ira\ eller. got to the ferry to cross to the island.
Nov,. she sass. speed demons from the mainland make (kit. ing perilous On PEI's
country highways. And the roads into Charlottetown arc so clogged with tourists in the summer she has given up trying to see shows at the Confederation Centre. • . The biggest problem in the first year of operations
was the number of times high winds closed the bridge to truck traffic — 16 closings between Noseniber and March.
lkspite this the bridge always remained open to cars.
The private firm. Strait Crossing Bridge. w- hick operates the bridge. will not reseal the number of travellers who used it but it is believed the venture is making a tidy profit.
A spokesman Michel LeChasseur told The Gnu/Wiwi: "The only comment I can make is that management is satisfied with the first vear's result."
Guardian editor Gary MacDougall told the CP that while the bridge had increased tourism hugely.. it had also changed the shape of the industry.
-When the ferries were running people would stay longer on PEI- and now more visitors conic for the day." he said.
'Flie toll booths are at the PEI side of the bridge and charges are around C14 for a return journey.
Agriculture is the main industry of the island. which is particularly well-known as a potato exporter. followed by tourism and then fisheries.
The island is 145 miles long. but is very narrow. measuring just a mile or so across at sonic points.
The bridge which joined L'ile de Re to the mainland in 1988.The island's population has been growing continuously for the last 20 years and numbers have increased con-siderably since the bridge was opened.
Tourism up ten-fold after French island link opens
T1 IL island of Ude de Re off south west France was linked to the mainland by a 1.8 -mile bridge in 1988.
Main income of the island is tourism and the pop-ulation of 15.000 is multiplied a massive len-fold in the summer numths.
A huge 55 per cent of the housing stock are second homes and consequently the permanent population occupies milt 9.1 per cent of the theoretical bed capacity.
Population has been growing continuously- tor the last 211 years and numbers have increased consider-ably since the bridge was opened.
Return toll charge toi- the bridge is just under C7 in the w inter — at an exchange rate of nine francs to the C — rising to just user C12 in the summer months for visitots.
But residents can get across for just under C2
return antl a yearly pass Can he purchased for around El III.
In- 1997 a total of 2.192.367 vehicles crossed the bridge of which 868.000 were in the three summer months.
The island is about 19 miles long and about two miles wide.
Like the 1W. 26 per cent of its population are retired people. Thirty per cent of the pOpulation arc
tv t. )114 ica I v active and of these. 30 per cent com-mute to the mainland to work.
The island has 85S companies. of which 37 per cent are commercial and 19 per cent are Innels and restattrants,
The year the bridge opened visitors increased by I 1 per cent. In 1987 there were 679,000 people who crossed to the island by boat and this rose to I.S1N1,INN1 on the bridge by 1993.
Bridge has not brought more jobs to Skye
ONE of the world's longest bridges spanning almost nine miles and opened between Prince Edward Island and the Canadian mainland in May, 1997.
C1.311 a single journey. The difference between Sloe and
the proposed fixed link for the 1kV is that the cross-Solent ferries would con-tinue. although it is thought likely that at least one operater would fold.
Ileyr hee.Presy editor Ian McCormack said: "As part of the Skye bridge package the lion got ernment insisted Caledonian Macliravne with-draw the ferry sot ice because it did not want the ferries to compete will the bridge.
"Continuing the terries would hate reduced income from the bridge and taken longer to pay ell the loans." said Mr McCormack.
The bridge tolls were set at slightly less than the pro ious terry fares.
The paper was a staunch opponent. not of the concept of a bridge. but of the tolls.
-One Of our main arguments is that there is no alternative access lOr most of the year," he said.
During the three-month 'high' sea- son small ferries to Skye.
cost of getting across the bridge to the Isle of Skye for regular users. is less than a motorist pays to cross the River Medina on the 1.W.
Yet residents, councillors and pres-sure groups in the Scottish Highlands are outraged that there is a toll at all and have mounted a vigorous cam-paign to persuade the government to remove all tolls.
The 500-yard bridge which links the Scottish mainland to Sloe officially opened to traffic in mid-tktober. 1995.
It cost around C80 million to build through a private finance initiative with £9 million link roads paid for by the government.
The local newspaper which is based On and includes Skye. the ltcsi Highland free Press. said the bridge has been good for the tourist industry. despite the cost of a single crossing of
1:511 814:1 regular users can buy hooks of tickets at discounted rates. which for 20 tickets brings the price down to just
which has a population at around 10.01111.
The number of isitoi s rocketed from 2711.36 I in 1995 to 357.396 the fol-lowing year, when the bridge opened. although numbers fell back slightly in 1997 to 336.930.
Unemployment in the local council area of Skye and Lochalsh has not real-ly improved since the bridge was built according to Anthony Standing. Job-centre manager on Skye.
With more than a third of the jobs on the Island involved in the tourist indus-try. the numbers of jobless fluctuates according to the season.
"I don't think the bridge has made much difference.
-LInemployment has dropped eYery. where in the region. but less here than in other parts of the Highlands.
"llnrmploymenI in Sky e and Lochalsh is about six per cent at the moment but in the next couple of months it will rise to around I I per cent. making it the second worst in the Ilighland region." said Mr Standing.
Ile said he was aware of two compa-nies which had been considering relo-cating to Skye but had gone elsewhere because of the bridge tolls which are more than £26 single for an HUN.
"I can't name the firms, but they would have brought up to 41) jobs to" Skye." said Mr Standing.
Opponents of tolls are citing the fact that research conducted on behalf of the Highland Council into the effect of tolls on tourism showed that up to 50 cars a day were doing a 11-turn at the bridge because of high charges.
Cllr Allan Beaton. chairman of the Skye and Loekalsh committee of the I lighland Council said: "This survey confirms our tears that Skye is losing valuable tourist business because of these high tolls.
"The Highland Council must contin-ue to fight to have this unfair burden removed."
Campaigners argue that the removal of tolls would add C2.5 million to the Skye economy and increase tourist v k-its-by ten per cent.
A NEW era for business was forecast when one of the world's longest bridges, spanning almost nine miles, opened between Prince Edward Island (PEI) and the Canadian mainland in May, 1997.
Tempting promises were made over the Intuit, prosperity the bridge would bring for the Island which. with 136.000 residents. has a slightly larger population than the IW.
Opening publicity material predicted mil-lions of dollars were expected to he saved annually as delays in the shipment of goods and services were eliminated.
The province was also expecting an increase in tourist traffic from the 740,0110 visitors who came to PEI mainly In fern in 1996.
The CP contacted the Island's local newspa-per. hit' Guardian. based in Charlottetown, to see if the predictions lived up to reality IS months on from the opening ceremony.
In a story published on October 19 this year. the incoming president of the PH ToMism Industry Association. Mel Gass. said he was not surprised that the industry' had had anoth-er record-breaking year in 1998.
His Silverwood Motel in Cavendish wel-comed just 12 guests in September. 1970. but this September a total of 1.200 people stayed.
It is estimated that by the end of the season 1.26 million visitors will have visited the island. boosting the economy I- a total of 1112 mil-lion.
The previous year. the first after the Confederation Bridge opened. there was a tt hopping 57 per cent rise in tourism. largely due to its opening.
However. the fact that the length of stay of tourists fell. lends weight to arguments from the tourist industry being put forward on the [Won the effects of a fixed link.
Length of stay for business travellers fell by II per cent while pleasure visitors stays dipped by one per cent. adding fuel to concerns that the bridge is indeed enticing more day trip-pc rs.
Around 82.000 visitors were day trippers. The bridge. hailed around the world as a
teat of engineering with spans rising to 197 ft above the often ice-hound -Northumberland Strait •cost around £400 million (Can. S1 bil-lion) and its construction took 3' .• years.
Under an agreement the Canadian federal government will make 35 annual payments of C16.7 million to a consortium of Canadian companies called Strait Crossing Develop-ment Inc. which built the bridge.
The deVeloper will keep the revenue gener-ated by the bridge tolls for the next 35 years. after which the bridge will become the proper-ty of the federal government_
In an editorial just over a year after the opening of the bridge. 11w Guardian spoke of the drovCs of visitors who came to PEI in the surnm4r. and described the Confederation Bridge as a remarkable visuataid.
It said: -Rather than diminish our aware-ness of being an island, the bridge has enhanced it.
"You can't approach the bridge by car with-wit knowing you're crossing a mighty stretch if water.
18 ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY PRESS — FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1998
can be done but do we want it? THE recent publication
of one of the most important documents
vital to the very future of the IW as an island has sparked renewed debate about a
fixed link to the mainland. The prospect of such a link is not
new — almost a century ago in 1900 permission was given for a railway
fixed link since the early '90s, said it will attempt to interest construction companies in taking the venture a stage further.
The two main sponsors of the recent first phase study were Linkland and Wight Training and Enterprise. with -financial contributions from some Island businesses.
The report suggested a possible opening year for a fixed link of 2005. given the necessary consents.
tunnel under the Solent — but the strong feelings it engenders have not lessened over the years. -
The unique and'special nature of the Island would almost certainly be destroyed but would the benefits bring greater prosperity and more jobs to the south's economic blackspot?
The feasibility study into a fixed link compiled by mainland specialist con-sultants and international consultants KPMG, came to the conclusion that
overall the effects on the economy would be positive.
This week the County Press takes an in-depth look at the £100,000 report, the long history of the fixed link proposals and how such links have affected other communities. both in this country and abroad.
We are publishing some of the report, although it should be pointed out that some of the figures contained in it are disputed.
The main conclusion of the feasibili-ty study was that the construction of a link was technically feasible and finan-cially viable.
It would have a significant and posi-tive impact on the economy of the Island, although a further £1 million study was needed to assess environ-mental and traffic implications.
Now Linkland, a mainland consor-tium which has been examining the development and construction of a
It concluded that not only would the project be self-financing, a proposed £30 return fare for a car would gener-ate surplus funds to pay for its related infrastructure and provide what is described as a 'dividend' to the Island.
Three different types of link were examined, a bored tunnel, a bridge and an immersed tube tunnel with the latter being chosen as the most attrac-tive option.
• Continued on facing page.
DISTINCT CHANGES
THE actual construction of the link would be one of the largest civil engineer-ing projects in the region.
"The .costs associated with this project are in the range of [185 million to £770 million." said the report.
But the likely cost would he between £200 to £300 million spread over three to four years. -
In calculating the employ-ment effects of this. it was assumed that expenditure of £70,000 will support one job for a year in the construction industry.
The likely level of job cre-ation would he around 1,00 jobs, during the three to four year project.
But - these would he spread across the whole• of the UK and only a small proportion would accrue to Islanders. depending on what skills they could offer.
The KPMG business survey confirmed that if commuting to the mainland becomes a realistic possibility as a result of the fixed link. Island busi-nesses would have to pay more to keep their current work-force.
House prices would also rise and could he pushed up fur-ther by prospective second home owners. previously deterred by the high cost of vehicle ferry crossings.
On the impact of toll pric-ing. the report said if the charges only slightly undercut the ferries. the fixed link would still gain a large market share and associated revenues, but the economic benefits would be relatively small.
But low tolls, or even free use of the fixed link in the longer term. would maximise economic opportunities for Islanders. although returns to investors would be small.
The report concluded: "Overall. the effect of the fixed link on the IW economy will be positive. creating new opportunities for inward investment and increased employment."
But it also warned that it would ►alter the character of the Island in a number of dis-tinct ways.
"Almost certainly • it will move ►from aquiet, rural. retirement area to a younger, more suburban. dormitory area.
"This needs to be recog-nised and accepted by .rest-dents. it the link is to gain political acceptance.-
WHY PICK A TUNNEL? ANALYSIS indicated that the immersed tube option was the most attractive financially, although arch-aeological concerns would need to be addressed.
Transport analysis revealed that the crossings in the east are likely to generate most rev-enue.
Operating costs were ex-pected of around £1.25 million a year for general manage-ment and toll booth operation.
The report said there were a number of options in terms of the . structure of finance, although the project was dif-ferent from typical private finance initiative (PFI) trans-actions. This was because financiers would he expected to share the risks associated with the volume of traffic.
Because of this, the debt to equity ratio is lower. than in most PFI financings.
An examination of results showed that the immersed tun-nel was potentially financeable on all routes: most routes on the bored tunnel option would he financeahle if there was a high volume of traffic but most bridge options did not gener-ate adequate returns, although three could give viable finan-cial returns if traffic volumes were high.
TWO-THIRDS OF ISLANDERS OPPOSED FIXED LINK IN LAST POLL PROVIDING a fixed transport link between the Island and mainland Britain is not a new as pon.
Throughout the century 'Solent tun-nels or bridges hate been proposed with regularity. each time arousing fierce controt erSV.
But each lime the initiative has failed tor the sane reasons — a lack of funding and the absence of.commitment to the idea In the Island community:
Fervent supporters have always argued that a link was %nal to the Island's economic growth. •
And on the other side. hate been staunch opponents w ho !eared it would unlock the floodgates to a never-ending stream of mainland traffic.
They said it would cause a gridlock on Island roads. destroying the special character and charm of the countryside.
The most detailed study yet into the feasibility of a fixed link has rekindled a debate on what is arguably the biggest issue flieVg the 1W — its continued exis-tence as an island.
land. passing under the Island west of Fort Victoria near Yarmouth. emerging in the valley of the western Yar.
It would have crossed the river there to form a triangular junction with the existing line.
An electricity generating station at Keyhaven was to supply power for pumping. ventilation and possibly elec-tric traction and stations were planned at Pennington and Keyhat en.
Some test bores were made in the Tolland area. but eventually the scheme lapsed after several time extensions.
In 1912, with the storm.clouds of the Great War gathering. the government was urged to finance a Solent tunnel as being vital to the Island's defence in case of invasion.
The following year an electric tube line between Stokes Bay and Ryde was suggested.
There was no progress however by 1914 when Britain was plunged into the First World War.
Further attempts to revive the railway tunnel idea after the war were unsuc-cessful. hut. in 1935. the Southern
It's an issue that splits Island opinion and perhaps because it is so deeply divi-sive it has repeatedly been buried and then resurrected again a few years later.
The prospect of .a Solent tunnel intrigued the entrepreneurs and engi-neers of the late Victorian era.
One proposal in 1873 involved a tun-nel between Eaglehurst near Calshot and Cowes and another. in 1881 was for a tunnel linking Portsea and Rydc.
Three years later the idea was for a tunnel between Stokes Bay and Ryde Pierhead. with a fort at its midpoint.
In 1901 the South Western and IW Junction Railway was formed with pro-
, posed €600.(100 capital . The company obtained a parliamen-
tary Act to build a seven-mile line link-ing the Lvmington branch of the London and South Western Railway 10
the Freshwater. Yarmouth and Newport Railway through a single-track tunnel under the western Solent.
The proposed two-and-a-half mile tunnel was to be built to a maximum depth of 46 it below the Solent, from a point east of Hurst Castle on the main-
Railway cane under pressure to breathe new life into the scheme.
A postal referendum resulted in tri-umph for supporters of the project. although the idea of levying a special rate to fund the tunnel was rejected.
Twenty years later. after the run-down of the Island railway network had begun. the idea of a cross-Solent road and rail bridge to West Wight was hotly-debated.
If British Railways put a line across such a bridge and re-opened its recently closed Freshwater to Newport line. it was argued. that this would relieve the burden of road traffic and help freight transport. particularly agricultural pro-duce. to get on and off the Island.
The bridge project. costing between £8 and CIO million. was killed off in mid-December 1955. when the county coun-cil voted 21 to 20 to instruct its planning committee to stop further investigations.
But this did not stop the contempo-rary journal. The Sphere running it fea-ture on the thorny question Of a bridge just a few weeks later in January 1956.
This described how a committee working on a new map for West Wight
but when the same idea was re-exam-ined 2t) years later. the forecast had climbed to 1:65
On both occasions. consultants advised the council it was feasible in terms of construction. navigation and finance.
But in 1982 the idea was shelY ed. along with an alternative scheme lor a rail tunnel from Hatton. Portsmouth to Rode St John's.
The concept of a link has restirfaced periodically since then, notably in 1988 when county councillors resolved not to seek a pre-feasibility study into the eval-uation of a fixed link.
In 1990 a project was put forward on the mainland for a power-generating barrage carrying a road across the west-ern Solent. but this found no favour on the Island.
Two years later Linkland. then a Winchester-bused engineering consor-tium. first approached the IW Development Board with its proposals for an £18 million single lane tunnel from Ryde to Gosport.
asked the then county planning officer Robert Rose, to report on the possibili-ties of a cross-Solent bridge.
The resulting report was factual. said The Sphere. but it split the Island.
The feature describes a war Of words between diehard opponents, branded Victorian isolationists and so-called pro-gressives. who argued that something must he done -about the Island's strug-gling economy. inconvenient ferry ser-vices and high freight charges.
The controversial report was said to have pointed out that a bridge would bring Island prices down to mainland level. attract new light industries and encourage out-of-season visitors.
.The' Sphere maintained that a Solent bridge would transfigure the whole Of West Wight with day visitors, making Yarmouth and Freshwater as prosper-ous as Ventnor, Shanklin and Ryde.
By 1961 a Solent bridge was hack on the public agenda. but this time the favoured crossing was between Gurnard and Calshot.
A cost of C7 million was suggested.
Despite a 'phone poll conducted on behalf of the County Press, which showed Islanders were two to one against a fixed link, the consortium pressed ahead with trying to obtain hacking for its plans.
By August 1993 the cost had risen to 1:30 million for a 5,140-yard tunnel with a proposed charge of £10 for a return trip in a car.
The following year this was upgraded to a two-way link costing £61 million which could he linked with Hampshire County Council's light rapid transit sys-tem.
Linkland have, since then, continued to modify its plan to cater for require-ments, although the concept of an immersed tube tunnel has remained unchanged.
A feasibility study won the hacking of Wight Training and Enterprise (WTE) and this became a reality through finan-cial backing from KPMG, Island busi-nesses, WTE and Linkland itself.
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