Campaigning For an Affordable Transport Sea Service To The Isles of Scilly.

We, the residents and visitors of the Isles of Scilly, are campaigning for cost-effective and reliable travel & freight to the Islands. We simply cannot afford the increased costs that the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG) will pass on to us. The cost of new vessels (which are desperately needed) can only be funded by increased fares and freight charges should the ISSG choose the private finance route - which the Islands residents and visitors CANNOT afford.

History:

We are a group of Islands, 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall. A once thriving community with an economy based on tourism, fishing and farming, but a community now in economic decline due to cost of travel and freight to the Islands.

For the last 100 years, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group have operated a passenger and freight service to the Islands and later an air service, Skybus. Penzance Helicopters joined in 2020 but was obstructed at every turn by the ISSG. Despite this, they are now up and running which gives residents and tourists an alternative, more weather-resilient air option. 

The current vessels operated by the ISSG have reached the end of their working lives. Since Scillonian III was launched, the ISSG has had almost 50 years to plan for replacement vessels but has failed to invest in their future or ours. They claim they run Skybus at a loss and subsidise it from the marine operation.

In 2012, the ISSG stated they would be able to fund their own vessels when due for replacement. Now in 2023, they state they have to borrow to fund a replacement Scillonian, Gry Maritha and inter-Island launch. The cost is estimated to be around £40million (plus interest) and will result in higher fares and freight costs. Many cannot afford the current charges and a loan-backed replacement deal will make it immeasurably worse. 

The Government offered £48m in levelling up money which would offset these costs. The service would go to tender with ISSG guaranteed the route in the first instance.  ISSG would be required to bid to retain the franchise in the future with no guarantee of success if they delivered a poor service. The ISSG consider this too great a risk to their company and have withdrawn from the discussion. This leaves no room for competitors to access the LUF and set up an alternative. If the ISSG proceed with private finance the Islands will lose LUF money that it so desperately needs. 

The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group was set up by Islanders, for Islanders. We do not accept that the ISSG is working for the Islanders’ best interests anymore.

We will have to pay the price for a service that is unsustainable for local and visitors alike. 

We NEED government intervention to safeguard the Islands and it’s future NOW. Please sign to support and make our voices heard.

Thank you for reading.