The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss the Chief Officer's quarterly report, budget monitoring, and the revenue budget and capital programme for the coming year. The meeting will also include verbal updates on the Tamar 2050 programme, specifically focusing on open road tolling and ferry decarbonisation.

Here's a closer look at the topics outlined in the agenda:

2026-27 Revenue Budget and Capital Programme

The committee will be asked to consider and approve the proposed revenue budget for 2026/27, along with indicative figures for the following three years. The 2026-27 Revenue Budget and Capital Programme Report outlines the financial strategy for the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry, which are jointly operated by Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council on a 'user pays' principle, funded by toll income.

The report pack indicates that the forecast reserve position on 31 March 2026 is £1.492m. It also indicates that future years show that the reserve position increases to £2.211m by the end of 2028/29, then decreases in 2029/30 to £1.848m.

Key assumptions used in developing the budgets for 2026/27 to 2029/30 include:

• CPI inflation of 2.70% in 2026/27, decreasing to 2.00% by 2029/30
• RPI inflation of 3.60% in 2026/27, decreasing to 2.90% by 2029/30
• Pay inflation of 3.00% in 2026/27, decreasing to 2.00% by 2029/30
• Interest receivable at 2.50%
• Interest payable on existing borrowing at 4.65%
• Interest payable on new borrowing starting at 6.50% in 2026/27 and decreasing to 6.30%

The report pack notes a few significant variations between the latest 2025/26 forecast and the proposed 2026/27 budget:

• An increase in the Tag account fee to £2.00 per month is forecast to increase income by £0.690m.
• The full year effect of the Toll revision in May 2025 is forecast to increase income by £0.323m
• An increase in expenditure of £0.057m for Tags and accessories is forecast as a direct result of an increase in Tag users and the need to replace lost or damaged tags.

The 2026-27 Revenue Budget and Capital Programme Report also includes a proposed capital programme, with a revised estimated cost for 2026/27 of £5.483m. Key elements of the capital programme include:

• Bridge structural fire protection upgrade, £3.300m
• Ferry Traffic Control Systems, £1.070m
• Bridge protective coating second year, £0.700m
• Torpoint Office and Workshop Refurbishment £0.288m
• Rocker/Pendle remedial works £0.125m

A new scheme has also been added to the programme of work, a Toll System Replacement in 2029/30 at an addition of £1.200m.

The committee will also be presented with a draft Annual Business Plan 2026/27, which outlines the organisation's mission to provide safe, reliable, and efficient crossings of the River Tamar. Key strategic goals outlined in the plan include:

• Meeting customer expectations
• Maintaining fiscal sustainability
• Ensuring transparent governance and clear decision-making processes
• Fostering a modern, diverse, and well-trained workforce
• Upholding quality and appropriate standards

Chief Officer's Quarterly Report

Philip Robinson, Chief Officer, Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry, will present a quarterly report covering the period from 1 August 2025 to 31 October 2025. The Chief Officers Quarterly Report includes key performance indicators (KPIs) related to the Torpoint Ferry and the Tamar Bridge.

Torpoint Ferry

• Ferry availability was 97.93%, below the target of 99%.
• 16,832 trips were completed, missing the target of 17,188 trips by 356.
• Eastbound tolled traffic volume was 262,966 vehicles, a 5.3% increase from the previous year.
• There were zero road traffic collisions within the Torpoint Ferry traffic control area.
• There were two incidents of recorded anti-social behaviour on Joint Committee property.

The report also mentions planned maintenance, including an annual fire safety survey and chain replacement. Plym II prow repairs were delayed due to the requirement for a weld plan for Class approval and material availability.

Capital programme updates include chain tension gantries planned for replacement in 2026, a platform management system upgrade to NautIQ Core during 2026, and ferry office refurbishment expected to start in early Spring 2026.

The Torpoint Ferry Decarbonisation programme, known as the Bridge to Zero project, has formally started, with data collection underway.

Tamar Bridge

• Eastbound tolled traffic volume was 1,868,197 vehicles, a 1.6% decrease from the previous year.
• There were no full bridge closures.
• Lane availability was 98.71%, below the target of 99.5%.
• Toll plaza downtime was 98.25%, below the target of 99%.
• Journey times have increased due to a 30mph speed limit, a diversion route, and single lane operation eastbound.
• There were 22 road traffic collisions on the Tamar Bridge/Saltash tidal flow system.
• There were eight incidents of recorded anti-social behaviour on Joint Committee property.

Planned maintenance included cleaning, structure repairs, and vegetation clearance. Principle inspection of maintenance gantries is ongoing.

Supplementary cable repairs and rocker remedials are progressing as planned. Toll booth 3 replacement was scheduled for 14 November. Feasibility and options appraisal has continued for cable fire protection measures. Bridge recoating phase 3 is running to budget and plan.

Visitor and Learning Centre

Key activities included achieving the Sandford Award, delivering summer and October activity programmes, volunteer training, attending Launchpad Live, and hosting school workshops.

General and Corporate

The report includes combined and individual employee statistics for Tamar Crossings.

Tamar 2050

Key activities included an income optimisation study, a social and economic impact assessment, stakeholder engagement, and open road tolling.

The income optimisation study identified opportunities to increase secondary income modestly and add to the social value provided by the crossings. The study recommended consideration be given to establishing a subsidiary organisation as an umbrella for organisation's social and secondary commercial activities.

A high-level meeting with local MPs took place in mid-November, and regular meetings and briefings have been set up with key local stakeholders, including the Tamar to the Moor Community Area Partnership (CAP), South East Cornwall CAP and Torpoint Town Council.

Toll Revenue

• Toll revenue for the reporting period was £4,680,555, a 12.4% increase from the previous year.
• Toll revenue for the rolling 12-month period was £16,942,982, a 6.6% increase from the previous year.

The report notes that revenue comparisons with the previous year are affected by the increase in tolls from 12 May 2025.

Health and Safety

There were seven accidents and two near misses, all minor and not reportable.

Communications and Engagement

Communications activity supported the bridge painting, the Bridge to Zero ferry decarbonisation research project, the Saltash Tunnel Technology Upgrade, the Sandford Award for the Bridging The Tamar Learning and Visitor Centre, and community engagement efforts. Katherine Peberdy was appointed as the new Marketing & Communications Manager.

2025/26 Budget Monitoring

The committee will also review the 2025-26 Budget Monitoring Report, which presents the budget monitoring statement and revised forecast outturn position based on actual information available at the end of October 2025.

The report pack indicates that the revenue position currently shows an overall surplus of £0.613m, an adverse variance of £0.066m year to date compared to the revised forecast. The position at the end of March 2026 is now forecast to be an overall surplus of £0.576m.

The report pack notes that within Capital, expenditure of £2.982m has been made against the latest forecast for the year of £6.765m.

The forecast reserve position based on the current estimate is a surplus of £1.492m as at 31 March 2026, a slight reduction to the original budget position of £1.512m.

The 2025-26 Budget Monitoring - Appendix 1 2 provides a revenue budget monitor report for the financial year 2025/26.

Tamar 2050

The committee will receive verbal updates on two key aspects of the Tamar 2050 programme:

• Open Road Tolling: An update on the proposal for open road tolling, which aims to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion by removing the need for toll booths.
• Ferry De-Carbonisation: An update on the Bridge to Zero project, which is exploring options for decarbonising the Torpoint ferries and reducing their environmental impact.

Other Items

The agenda also includes standard items such as apologies for absence, declarations of interest, approval of the minutes from the previous meeting, public questions, and chairman's announcements. There is also an allowance for any other business that the chairman considers to be of urgency.