New Chairs elected for Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee
Plymouth City Councillor Anne Freeman and Cornwall Councillor Andrew Long have been elected as the Joint Chairs of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee.
Both were elected unopposed at the first meeting of the Joint Committee since the elections in May.
Andrew Long, who represents Cornwall Council on the Joint Committee, was co-opted to Callington Town Council in 1999 and is now the longest serving Councillor. In 2007 he was elected to Caradon District Council for Callington ward in 2007 and, when it was replaced by Cornwall Council in 2009, was elected as the Callington member for Mebyon Kernow. He has been the member ever since, with his electoral division expanded in 2021 to include Kelly Bray and St Dominic.
“The Tamar Crossings are incredibly important for communities on both sides of the river who rely on the bridge and the ferries to get to work, school and access services “ he said. “The location of the main hospital for this part of the peninsula in Derriford means tens of thousands of people have to use the facilities to access health services. We recognise the challenges recent increases in tolls have created for local residents and businesses and I am determined to work with partners to find a viable and sustainable future for the services in Saltash and Torpoint”.
"I have never hidden my desire to see tolls removed on both the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry, and for National Highways to pay their way in the future and I will be working towards that end which will benefit the people of Plymouth and South East Cornwall. This has not changed and I will continue to press for a solution that does not penalise the residents who have to use the Bridge and Ferry - those who have no choice".
Anne was first elected to Plymouth City Council to represent Devonport Ward in 2024. As well as joining the Joint Committee at this time, she was also appointed as a substitute on a number of other Council committees, including Audit and Governance. She is now also Vice Chair of the Taxi Licensing Committee and sits on the Council’s Planning and Housing and Communities Scrutiny Committees.
Anne is very proud to be nominated as a Joint Chair of the Committee.
“Both crossings are essential – both for the people who use them every day and the communities which surround them on both sides of the river” she said.
Anne believes it is vital for everyone on the Committee to work together in a positive way. While she recognises that individual councillors will hold different political views, she would like to see party politics left at the door with decisions made on what is best for the Bridge and the Ferry and the local residents and businesses who rely on them.
“I spent my first 12 months as a member of the Joint Committee listening and learning” she said. “.This is a very exciting and important time for Tamar Crossings and the Joint Committee and I am looking forward to working with staff, officers, elected members, partners and local communities to seize the opportunities and address the challenges facing the crossings and securing their future”.