Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee - 26 June 2026

Name: Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee — 2026-06-26
Start: 2026-06-26
End: 2026-06-26
Location: Cornwall Council, County Hall

Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee·2026-06-26

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Key Takeaways

•Elected Councillor Long as Joint Chairman (Cornwall) and Councillor Stephens as Joint Chairman (Plymouth) for the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee for 2026/27.
•Addressed public concerns about the proposed Tamar Tag fee increase, noting that the option to reject or postpone exists through the normal democratic process and that a recorded vote can be requested by half of the Members present.
•A future finance workshop will consider a range of options—including reducing ferry discounts—to ensure the crossings generate sufficient income while maintaining a credible reserve.
•Terms of Reference for the Joint Committee are being updated to include greater transparency, with Members asked to submit suggestions by 15 July 2026.
•Planned a general stakeholder meeting and confirmed that a business case for Open Road Tolling is nearing finalization, to be discussed at a future workshop before formal consideration.

AI-Generated Summary

This summary was generated by AI and may contain errors. Read the full minutes for the official record.

At the meeting of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, Councillor Long was elected Joint Chairman for Cornwall and Councillor Stephens was elected Joint Chairman for Plymouth for the 2026/27 term. The minutes from the previous meeting on 13 March 2026 were approved. No declarations of interest were made.

Four public questions were received and addressed. Mrs Carter questioned the tag account fee increase, noting that 82% of consultation respondents opposed it, and asked whether capital expenditure could be postponed instead. Officers responded that the Joint Committee could reject the proposal through normal democratic processes. Mr Carter suggested reducing the ferry discount to generate extra income, and officers indicated this would be considered at a future finance workshop. Mr Slavin asked for clarity on attendees and minutes from a meeting with MPs on 16 May; officers confirmed that some attendees joined remotely and were not in photographs. Mr Moyle raised multiple questions, which were noted.

The Joint Chairman praised cooperation between the parent authorities and announced a review of the Committee’s Terms of Reference, with Member suggestions requested by 15 July 2026. A meeting with MPs and the Tamar Toll Action Group was highlighted, and some Members urged that a general stakeholder meeting be arranged promptly. The Chief Officer's Quarterly Report was considered, covering topics including Open Road Tolling, hydrogen fuel use on ferries, the Visitor and Learning Centre, and the impact of reduced car use goals on crossing income.

The Committee debated the Tamar Tag Fee Increase Proposal. A motion to reject the proposed fee increase from £0.80 to £2.00 was moved by Councillor Long and seconded by Councillor Candy. An amendment to defer the decision until financial modelling was completed was moved by Councillor Parsonage and seconded by Councillor Pascoe. The amendment was carried, and following debate, the substantive motion to defer was also carried. The Committee therefore did not approve the fee increase at this meeting.

The Budget Outturn Report for 2025-26 was approved, along with the draft Annual Governance Statement, subject to audit. The Budget Monitoring Report for 2026-27 was noted. Officers advised that financial reserves stood at £1.41 million, against a prudent target of £3 million, and that international instability could affect future figures. Members emphasised the need for strong advocacy for Government support and noted concerns about lost bus toll revenue and cross-border public transport coordination.