Minister refuses to release final cost of over budget Isle of Man ferry terminal in Liverpool

The Isle of Man's infrastructure minister has refused to reveal final costs of the Manx ferry terminal in Liverpool, as one politician claims costs have now exceeded £100 million.

Tim Crookall MHK said 'legal advice' prevents him from disclosing the final cost of the terminal, due to an 'unresolved dispute' between the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) and the delivery teams.

Speaking in the parliamentary sitting, he said: "I am very aware that the public is keen to understand the total cost of the Liverpool project... however at this time having taken legal advice, I am unable to release this figure, as we are in the process of legal discussions and would not wish to compromise our position."

The project had originally been expected to cost £38 million, however renewed estimations suggested the terminal would cost "around £70m".

Mr Crookall confirmed £70,676,000, alongside a further £2.12 million from the capital inflation fund, had now been fully used.

He added that a supplementary vote would be sought from Tynwald at a later date, to secure additional funding that is necessary to close out the project.

MHK for Ramsey Lawrie Hooper, said he was "aware of the figure", due to his previous responsibility in the DoI, claiming it was "somewhat north of £100m".

Mr Hooper said: “Would he also agree that now that the contractual process, as he said, itself, has been 'closed down', has finished and that the legal dispute that is ongoing actually is about recovery of cost?

"Because that’s the way the contract is structured.

“All the money has already been paid out. So the reality is now we are working back from a theoretical maximum cost backwards towards what the actual final settlement will be.”

Responding to the claim, Mr Crookall said: "It is about recovery now, but on the advice of the department's lawyer, I will not put any figures in the public domain."

The Liverpool ferry terminal opened to passengers in June 2024 after a number of delays, and has since been faced with further disruption after the Manxman and Ben-my-Chree ferries were unable to safely dock in low tide.

Speaking in March 2025, the Chief Minister Alfred Cannan was unable to confirm the final cost of the terminal, during a visit to the facility.

He said: "From a capital project perspective, it has cost us a lot of money - far more than one would have wished - but we are where we are".

He had also confirmed the treasury would bring the final cost of the terminal to Tynwald 'in the coming months', however the final official figure remains unknown.

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