Campaigners fighting for the transformation of a dilapidated town bridge which they say is key to bringing in tourism have been offered a faint ray of hope, as debate over its ownership rages on.

The swing bridge over Faversham Creek has been out of action for several years, with a temporary structure installed that does not open or rise, unlike the original.

Kent Council Council (KCC) and the local port authority Peel Ports are locked in a dispute over who should foot the bill to fix the structure, but following an intervention from the Department for Transport (DfT), the two could be set for arbitration over the issue.

In late February, Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately attended a meeting at the DfT with representatives of Faversham Town Council, the Faversham Society, Faversham Creek Trust, and KCC.

This came after campaigners presented a petition to DfT in November last year, signed by 1,500 people and calling for the return of the swing bridge.

A joint statement from the local parties said during the meeting DfT recommended that KCC and the town council agree to find lawyers to arbitrate the ownership, and secure agreement from Peel Ports for this approach.

If agreed, a King’s Counsel with maritime expertise would consider both positions and make a decision, which would be binding.

Both Peel and KCC submitted their evidence about ownership of the bridge to the DfT, but the DfT says they can’t settle the question of ownership themselves.

Following this development, Cllr Antony Hook (Lib Dem), who sits on both Faversham Town Council and KCC described the whole process as “completely ridiculous.”

He said: “Fundamentally the meeting was not really a bit of change from what we’ve heard before. The DfT can’t work out who owns it, which is pathetic to be honest.”

Cllr Hook acknowledged however that if arbitration goes ahead, “that might be a step forward.”

He and other campaigners believe that Peel Ports should stump up the cash to pay for a fully functional replacement swing bridge to allow boats in and out of the creek - currently silted up after years of disuse.

In 2019, some £1.54m was raised between residents, the Faversham Creek Trusts and local councils to erect a new swing bridge.

However, the total cost of the project was estimated by KCC at between £2.5m - £3m in 2019, so the replacement was never secured.

A Peel Ports spokesperson said: “KCC owns (and has responsibility for) the public highway, and our team in Sheerness has been liaising with them on their ambitions for Faversham Bridge since 2018.

“We are currently awaiting a response from KCC to our most recent correspondence on the matter.

"We understand Faversham Town Council’s frustrations and met with council representatives in November 2021.

“In this meeting, we provided proposal documents we had sent to KCC in May 2019, containing actions that have yet to be progressed.

“In June 2021, Robert Courts MP (then Minister for Aviation, Maritime & Security), asked KCC to work with the relevant parties on their proposals for the creek and the bridge.

“We are awaiting sight of a viable business case from the relevant parties. In the meantime, we will continue to engage and support on the matter, where appropriate."

Ms Whately said: “I’m working hard to get Faversham’s swing bridge back up and running.

“The Department for Transport want to help if they can, but without an agreement on legal ownership their hands are tied.

“That’s why they've suggested this arbitration route. If the dispute over ownership can be put to bed once and for all, then there might finally be a clear route forward for the project."

The DfT did not answer questions about why they have not determined who is responsible for the bridge. A spokesman said that they are in contact with all interested parties but could not comment on specifics.

KCC were unable to comment.