HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds has already been spent by the council on the Windermere Electric Ferry project - but there is still no contract to deliver it. 

A Freedom of Information request revealed how much money Westmorland and Furness Council, and the prior Cumbria County Council, pumped into the design and concept phase, an unsuccessful procurement exercise done in 2021 and into inspecting and refitting the old ferry to extend its lifetime when the electric boat was initially hoped to be operational this year.

The figures are as follows: 

  •  Design and concept: £98,158.60
  • Procurement in 2021 (which tendered no contracts): £23,040
  • Mallard's five year inspection and refit: £472,979

This totals £594,117.60. 

The council promised it will 'explore options moving forward' now that Mallard has had its inspection and refit programme from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. 

Mallard has been operating on Windermere since the early 1990sMallard has been operating on Windermere since the early 1990s (Image: Westmorland and Furness Council)

Mallard has been carrying pedestrians and vehicles between Bowness and Hawkshead for over three decades. One of the reasons given by the council for the new ferry is the boat's reliability issues as she ages. 

The electric ferry will increase vehicle capacity and reduce emissions, pulling herself across the lake on two wire cables like Mallard. 

In 2021, the council ran a procurement process but ultimately did not award a contract. It is not currently clear when the project will be delivered. Westmorland and Furness officially delayed the project last year when it took on the plans from the now dissolved Cumbria County Council. 

A council spokesperson said: "The successful completion of Mallard’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) inspection and refit programme shows our ongoing commitment to providing a safe and dependable service for local communities and visitors to the area.

“Over the course of the work programme, a series of upgrades, maintenance works and enhancements to passenger facilities, and rigorous overhauls of the ferry’s hydraulics and drive line have been delivered to improve its reliability. The vessel has also received its first full repaint in fifteen years, transforming it back to its original colour.

“Now the inspection is complete, the Council will explore options for the ferry moving forward. Our communities will be kept updated on the process as we progress.”