Additional reporting by Bartholomew Hall

A campaign to bring back a “vital” and “essential” cross-river ferry service is being backed by businesses and local authorities.

The Gravesend-Tilbury Ferry, which connected Kent and Essex, was axed in March last year after Kent County Council (KCC) and Thurrock Council cut their funding.

They had co-subsidised the service for more than two decades but when the Essex authority pulled out, KCC said it could no longer afford the £55,000 contribution.

Operator Jetstream Tours then announced it would cease running the ferry due to “concerns and uncertainties” around future funding and long-term prospects.

The boat made its final journey on March 30, last year and people have called for it to be reinstated ever since.

Now, Dr Lauren Sullivan has launched a petition to bring back the ferry, which she described as a “vital link” and “essential service” for residents, businesses and commuters.

Speaking to KentOnline, the MP for Gravesham, said: “The impact on businesses has been quite profound and quite significant. We have seen that footfall has decreased in the town.

“Speaking to businesses along the High Street, they have told me that they have suffered from a loss of funds and a loss of traffic coming through the town.

“It has had a huge knock-on impact on people’s lives and we want to show that there is a huge amount of support for the ferry to be in action.”

Gravesend business owners previously called for the service to be restored after reporting drops in trade, which even caused some to close down.

Speaking now, the owner of Chrystal's Coffee Shop, in Hatch Markets, Faye Chrystal, said she hoped the new KCC administration would reinstate the ferry.

She added: “I have definitely lost a lot of regulars that used to come across and a lot of faces that I used to see that I do not see anymore.

“We do have some that still continue to come, but they tell me they have got four buses to get here.

“We definitely need it back. Especially on a Saturday morning, because a lot of people used to come across on a Saturday and we have lost all that trade that came from that.

“And we are not the only ones. A few of the businesses from the High Street have closed because they just could not sustain it as there was nobody walking up and down there anymore.”

Lester Banks, landlord of the Three Daws, next to the ferry terminal, has also lost a lot of regular customers and revenue in the last year.

He said: “It would be a great thing if they could bring the ferry back. We had people who came across year after year, week after week, to either socialise or shop in the town, and we got to know them so well, but all of a sudden, that stopped.

“It was a loss of revenue. We have to adjust generally as the climate is always changing, but that was a loss which should never have happened.

“I would like to be optimistic, but at the end of the day, it is whether the money is going to be there, and that is down to two councils.”

James Langley, of Gravesend Model Centre, in the High Street, explained that many customers, particularly older people, have been deterred from visiting Gravesend due to the traffic and cost of using the Dartford Crossing.

Although he would like to see the ferry brought back, the business owner questioned whether it is feasible.

James added: “I am not very optimistic unless both parties come up with the money. Once things have gone, it is very difficult to get them back.”

Dr Sullivan said she was already working with the MP for Thurrock, Jen Craft, who has also started a similar campaign and the Thames Estuary Growth Board to restore the service.

She has also met with the minister for aviation, maritime and security, Mike Kane, twice to discuss what options there are, as the government does not subsidise ferries.

However, she is now calling on businesses on either side of the Thames, councils and anyone else who wants to join her “crusade” to work together to bring it back.

The former councillor said she was looking at options which could include larger firms subsidising the service or bringing in a different operator, such as Thames Clippers, to run it short term.

Long term, she said the local council reorganisation and devolution plans would change who awards the ferry contract, which is currently KCC, meaning a new decision could be made.

Dr Sullivan is also looking at whether money made from tolls on the Lower Thames Crossing could be invested in a cross-river boat service as well as other public transport, such as buses.

The Labour MP added: “The petition is important to gauge the level of support for this to come back and to demonstrate to potential operators that there are people who are willing to use the service.

“We are trying to show that there is a real need for this cross-river transport service. This is really to show a strength of support to get this ferry to come back.

“If anybody would like to sign it, please sign that petition. The more names we can get, we can demonstrate to businesses and councils that we need this ferry back.

“It is worth investing in. We need to find a way to fund it now, and I am willing to work with anybody to get this going again.

“It is a key driver of our local economy. This whole stretch of the river has so much industry.

“We cannot keep turning our backs on the river. We need to embrace it and give people more choice on how they travel.”

You can sign Dr Sullivan’s petition here and Mrs Craft’s here.

Hundreds of people have already backed their campaigns, including Gravesham council, which is a stakeholder in a coalition formed in response to the service’s discontinuation.

Other parties include KCC, Thurrock Council, Port of London Authority, Thames Freeport, Port of Tilbury, National Highways, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, Jetstream and Thames Estuary Growth Board.

A report commissioned by the group recently found that the “fundamental stumbling block remains the substantial difference” in how much a service will cost to operate and what will be raised through fares.

Gravesham council is also urging those behind the LTC to consider a joint operator model or cross-subsidy for the service.

A spokesman for the local authority added: “We are grateful for the support of our MP in our efforts to have the Gravesend-Tilbury ferry service restored.

“There is no doubt the loss of the ferry has had a detrimental effect on footfall and businesses in the High Street in particular, and businesses across the town have reported a drop in trade.

“We share the concerns and frustrations of the MP and local people on both sides of the river at the lack of a ferry, and we will do all we can to keep a future service at the forefront of the thoughts of all who have a part to play in making that happen.”

Another petition set up by Rebecca Drake Hopkins, who recently stood as Gravesend East’s Green Party candidate in the local elections, to reinstate the ferry is due to be handed in to KCC today. You can view it here.

It has been signed by more than 2,000 people and calls on the local authority to secure funding and safeguard the future of the service.

A KCC spokesperson said: “We understand the disappointment surrounding the withdrawal of the Tilbury Ferry service.

“Without joint funding from Thurrock Council, we are currently unable to support the service independently due to ongoing budget constraints.

“However, we remain committed to working with a range of partners to explore a sustainable, long-term solution for a replacement service, should funding become available."

A spokesperson for Thurrock Council added: “We remain committed to working with partners, including KCC, Gravesham council and the Thames Estuary Growth Board to seek a long-term sustainable funding model which will enable the ferry to be reintroduced.

“A number of focused officer workshops are planned over the coming months to work through the details.”

The ferry, which ran five days a week between 5.40am and 7pm, carried more than 100,000 passenger journeys a year, many of whom use it to commute to and from work and school.