A HIGH Court action due to start in London on Monday, December 14, could see the end of controversial W-Class ferries on Wightlink’s Lymington to Yarmouth Solent crossing.

Lymington River Association launched the High Court action in February shortly after the first of the three new multi-million-pound craft appeared in the Lymington River estuary to replace the C-Class ships.

Opponents claimed the Croatian-built W-Class boats would cause environmental damage and pose a risk to smaller craft because of their increased size, power and displacement.

Wightlink vehemently denied the allegations.

Since they entered service, the ships have been dogged by hold-ups described as “teething problems”.

They include running aground at low tide, loading difficulties, a jammed garage deck and failing a “man overboard” test.

The High Court hearing is expected to last two days.

Lymington River Association chairman Marcus Malanathy said: “We will be pleased if it goes the right way. We’ve just seen so much damage in the river at the moment.”

He said the current ships are twice the size of those they replaced, displace more water and are more powerful, and he claimed they are damaging the marshland banks, which are collapsing.

“What we would like to see are sustainable ferries that do not damage the river and its environment,” he said.

“We would like to see ferries of the same size or smaller than those we had before, sustainable ferries that can provide a service at low water.”

He claimed the craft previously used on the Lymington to Yarmouth route are currently laid up in Husband’s shipyard on the western bank of Southampton Water at Marchwood.

He claimed he had copies of paperwork to show they are seaworthy until 2023. “All they require is an ‘MOT certificate’ from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency,” he asserted.

The Lymington River Association will be represented in the High Court by Cambridge-based environmental solicitor Richard Buxton and London-based QC William Norriss.

Wightlink said it had nothing to add to previous statements.

This summer a spokesman said: “We don’t believe the ferries are damaging the environment and are confident there won’t be a case to answer.”

Marion Jakes lives in Lisle Court Road near the Lymington ferry terminal.

Her property has a long river frontage which is subject to damaging regular batterings from the south-westerly wind and waves. She claims the ferries will exacerbate the problem.

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