A strong objection to the potential loss of a ferry service has been lodged by a council.

The future of the Gravesend to Tilbury link was the subject of a consultation after financial pressures on Kent County Council (KCC) and Thurrock Council led them to review their spending.

The service, which runs six days a week between 5.40am and 7pm, carries more than 100,000 passenger journeys a year.

The consultation closed yesterday and Gravesham council has strongly objected to the potential loss.

Its leader Cllr John Burden said: “Economically the ferry has enabled port workers and seafarers to live in Gravesend and work in Tilbury Docks.

“Socially it linked the two communities of Tilbury and Gravesend together with a common focus on the River Thames.

“More than 107,000 trips are made each year with revenue covering more than 50% of the costs.

“Importantly it provides a vital service for school children from Tilbury attending schools in Gravesend, commuting to and from the communities and jobs on both sides of the Thames, tourism, and access to social, leisure and retail facilities in Gravesend from Tilbury.”

The council says if the ferry service was to stop, the alternative route on public transport would involve using three different buses, one of which is hourly.

The journey would take at least one hour and 50 minutes in comparison to the five minutes on the ferry. It would also cost more.

If people were to drive, it would take around 30 minutes.

According to the council, around 11% of the passengers that use the ferry use the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme pass based on disability.

Cllr Burden said: “Any move to end the ferry service would be at odds with the Thames Freeport initiative and the planned expansion of Tilbury docks with the jobs that will result.

“DP World and major employers such as Amazon are close to the ferry landing stage at Tilbury.

“The Thames Estuary Board is seeking substantial growth on both sides of the river, while in Gravesham, we have ambitious plans for thousands of new homes and jobs across a number of brownfield sites along the riverside.

“Cross river connectivity that is accessible to all types of user is an important component of an overall growth strategy for the Thames Estuary.”

The council also says that if the Lower Thames Crossing goes ahead it would not open before 2032/33 at the earliest and any bus route using it would still be an indirect route.

Cllr Burden added: “We completely understand and sympathise with the financial issues faced by KCC and Thurrock.

“Like every council in the country, we are tackling our own budget challenges and understand the conundrums these bring.

“While in these circumstances difficult decisions have to be made, they have to be carefully and sensibly weighed against the social and economic impact they would have on local communities.

“The Tilbury Ferry simply should not and cannot be sacrificed in the name of budget rationalisation – it is too important to the communities of north west Kent and south Essex for that.”

KCC says its proposal to remove its subsidy payments means the service could end when the contract expires at the end of March.

It is in the process of preparing a report in light of the consultation before any decision is taken.