The cost of a new landing stage in Liverpool is now going to cost Manx taxpayers just over £38m.

A site was bought at Princes Half-Tide Dock to allow for the building of a new dock, the cost for which has risen several times.

Department of Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer is to ask Tynwald to provide £26.8m for the work.

So far Tynwald has approved £11.254m, bringing the total cost to £38,054,000.

In March last year in the 2018 Budget it was reported that the total cost was expected to be £30,492,000.

Neither an estimate nor a total figure was given in the 2019 Budget.

When planning approval was granted by Liverpool City Council on April 9 of this year, a DoI press release said that ’the overall cost is forecast to be £31.3m’, meaning the cost to Manx taxpayers had risen almost £7m in just three months.

According to a 2016 Department of Infrastructure report to Tynwald on the Liverpool landing stage, Pier Head owners Peel Group had indicated a cost in April 2015 of £18m for developing and constructing a new landing stage at Princes Half-Tide Dock.

The same report said that if the DoI were to design and construct the facility the estimated total cost would be in the region of £25m.

It ruled out the option of the development being entirely funded and delivered by the Steam Packet and instead recommended seeking an open tender for a design and build contract.

If funding is approved, the new landing stage is due to be ready by 2022 and would be capable of taking any of the current vessels or a vessel up to a limit of 142m in length.

The move down river would also allow winter sailings to Liverpool rather than Birkenhead as currently happens.