The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss the budget, and receive an update from the General Manager. Items for discussion included the 2024-25 budget outturn, the 2025-26 budget monitoring report, and the General Manager's quarterly report. The meeting was also scheduled to include the election of a joint chairman for both Cornwall and Plymouth.

General Manager's Quarterly Report

The General Manager's Quarterly Report was scheduled to provide an update on general and operational matters, significant events, current and forthcoming issues, and key performance indicators (KPIs). The report covers a four-month period from 1 February 2025 to 31 May 2025, with commentary on key issues that occurred after this period.

Torpoint Ferry

Ferry availability between 1 February 2025 and 31 May 2025 was reported to be above the 99% target KPI, at 99.54%. Significant impacts on overall ferry availability during the four-month reporting period resulted from:

• Police incident
• Tamar prow fault
• Lynher refit preparations and departure manoeuvres
• Tamar sheave failure
• Plym prow faults
• Plym sheave failure
• Tamar chain fault

Tolled traffic volume during the four-month reporting period was 0.8% higher than in the equivalent period in 2024.

Lynher II Refit

The report pack noted that the Lynher II was towed to A&P Falmouth on 31 March, eventually docking on 8 April after a delay caused by high winds.

It was necessary to extend the refit schedule after inspections identified distortion and excessive material wastage of one inner prow. Repair involved replacement of a significant amount of the steel work on both prows. In addition to extending the time in refit, these unplanned works have added to the cost of refit.

After A&P completed all major work on 15 May, a joint team from Rolls Royce and the council's own technical team commenced installation of the vessel's Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).

Torpoint Ferry Decarbonisation

Decarbonisation of at least one of the current generation of ferries remains a goal that aligns with the 'net zero' aims of both parent authorities and specifically the Tamar 2050 strategy. A bid submission for grant funding through Innovate UK's Southwest Round 2 Collaborative Research and Development (CR & D) launchpad was unsuccessful, and a further bid for funding was submitted under Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition 6: Smart Shipping funding competition .

Tamar Bridge

Traffic lane availability at peak times was reported to be completely uncompromised during the reporting period. Overall traffic lane availability during the reporting period was 99%, above the target of 98.5%. The majority of lost availability continued to be associated with evening and night tunnel closures relating to the Saltash Tunnel technical upgrade project being undertaken by National Highways.

Supplementary Cable Repairs

The project to install temporary repairs to the supplementary cables at the top of Saltash main tower was successfully completed in May. There are several other supplementary cables that require intervention, and the engineering team are developing modifications of the recently completed solution to address these other interventions.

Rocker Remedials Project

The engineering team are continuing to develop the scheme for the rocker that requires repair at the Saltash side tower. These repairs are anticipated to commence in Autumn 2025.

Toll Booth Replacement

The toll booth refurbishment project is continuing as planned. During the period booth 5 and booth 6 have been refurbished and installed on the toll plaza.

National Highways Tunnel Technology Upgrade Project

The Tunnel Technology Upgrade started its current phase in mid-January. National Highways' schedules have been disrupted by the failure of the lane traffic control signal system (SCADA) that allow safe tidal flow operation of the bridge and tunnel. Officers have worked with NH to ensure that there is further local support for potential traffic management issues such as breakdowns and necessary lane closures.

Learning Centre

The Bridging the Tamar Learning Centre experienced a significant staffing change over the course of the reporting period with the Visitor Experience Manager leaving in February and a replacement commencing towards the end of the reporting period. Despite this short-term gap in leadership, a successful volunteer recruitment campaign was completed with nine new volunteers being added to the team.

Officers have made an application on behalf of the Learning Centre for The Sandford Award¹.

Software for the VR headsets development reported to the March 2025 meeting has now been completed. The technology will be introduced to the Visitor and Learning Centre during the Summer Holiday.

General

Tamar 2050

The reporting period has seen a phase of background work for officers on a range of the above programme elements. The initial formation meeting of the stakeholder panel was held at the Bridge Office on 10 April. The final version of the Income Optimisation Study is expected to be submitted to officers imminently, and requests for quotations to perform the Social and Economic Impact Assessment agreed at the Committee Meeting of 7 March 2025 will be issued prior to the date of this meeting.

As part of the upgrade and overhaul of the website, an online registration facility for Tamar Tag accounts was introduced, progressing the commitment to improve toll operations.

Officers have worked with the ORT to progress further public transport research, specifically to develop more detailed profiles of Pemros Road bus use.

Toll Revision

The Inspector's Report that followed the 15 October 2024 Public Inquiry into the Toll Revision was submitted to the Department of Transport in mid-November 2024, with the Department advising approval of the application on 25 March 2025. Following the Secretary of State's approval, it was necessary to confirm that the further statutory process required to confirm the decision was completed before a date for applying new rates could be determined and it was not until Monday 12 May that new charges applied.

Toll Revenue

Revenue comparisons with previous years are slightly affected by the increase in tolls from 12 May 2025.

Overall tag usage during the four-month reporting period represented 61.2% of tolled traffic, and tags were used by 78% of tolled traffic during weekday peak periods. Debit and credit cards were used to settle 32.2% of full-price crossings during the period, and cash was used to settle 12.5% of the total number of chargeable crossings of the Bridge and Ferry.

Health and Safety

Five accidents and nine near misses were recorded across the organisation during the four-month reporting period.

Staff

Attendance lost to sickness during the four-month reporting period was 412 days, equating to an annualised absence rate of 11 days per employee. During the four month reporting period there were six leavers and eight new starters, including either leavers or new recruits for the senior positions of Ferry Manager, Ferry Engineering Manager and HR Manager.

Journey Time Monitoring

A replacement technology was purchased during the reporting period. The system uses floating car data (often referred to as crowdsourced data) which removes the need to deploy sensors at the roadside. The associated online application utilises this vehicle data to deliver reliable and accurate journey time information.

Communications and Engagement

Communications activity during the reporting period included:

• media communications supporting the decision on toll revision and its application,
• releases advising the appointment of the new Chief Officer;
• an article and video about the Women in Stem Day held at the Bridge;
• updates and articles about the progress of the refit of LYNHER II; and,
• managing responses to a number of media queries.

Strategic Risk Register

Risk registers are an important element of strategic and operational management of organisations and both registers maintained by the Crossings have recently been subject to a major review undertaken by officers.

Budget Outturn Report 2024-25

The Committee were scheduled to consider the 2024-2025 Budget Outturn report. The report presented the Joint Committee's revenue and capital outturn against budget for the 2024/25 financial year, subject to audit.

The revenue position currently shows an overall deficit of £0.786m, an unfavourable variance of £0.061m compared to the revised budget. In relation to capital, the position shows expenditure of £3.366m against the revised forecast for the year of £5.650m. The reserve position as at 31 March 2025 is £0.916m.

The report also included a draft Annual Governance Statement.

Budget Monitoring Report 2025-26

The Budget Monitoring Report for 2025-26 contained the budget monitoring statement and forecast outturn position based on actual information available at the end of June 2025.

The revenue position currently shows an overall deficit of £0.510m, an adverse variance of £0.517m year to date. The position at the end of March 2026 remains a forecast overall surplus of £0.596m. Within Capital, the position shows expenditure of £1.825m against the latest forecast for the year of £12.312m. The forecast reserve position based on our current estimate is a surplus of £1.512m as at 31 March 2026, still lower than the original budget primarily associated with the revised timescale for implementing the toll price increase.