A copy of the lease relating to the Liverpool ferry terminal has been released by the Manx government following a Freedom of Information request.

But the retired businessman who submitted the FoI request believes serious questions remain over the long-term financial costs and liabilities associated with the facility.

However, the Department of Infrastructure insists the agreement provides long-term certainty over costs.

More than 200 pages of lease documentation have been released by the department.

They include the current lease, the agreement for lease signed in September 2018, an unsigned draft lease with handwritten amendments, a deed of variation dated February 2024, and agreements relating to use of the electricity substation network and surface water discharge.

The documents show the ground lease between the DoI and Peel Land and Property (Ports) Ltd began on November 8, 2019, and will end on April 28, 2252.

They confirm the site was acquired for £3.5m, with a peppercorn rent payable on January 1 each year.

But the deal comes with a raft of restrictions and potential future liabilities for the Manx taxpayer, including the costs of dredging and river wall maintenance.

There also does not appear to be a break clause for the government, while Peel Ports can surrender the lease for breaches of its terms and require the DoI to clear the site before leaving.

The Liverpool ferry terminal opened in June 2024.

No final cost for the development has been made public, although it was suggested in the House of Keys that the cost had topped £100m, far in excess of the original £38m budget.

The lease document states that the tenant cannot do anything which may damage or adversely affect the river wall.

It also says the tenant shall pay on demand a fair proportion of costs payable by the landlord for maintenance, repair, lighting, cleaning and resurfacing.

The facility cannot be used for freight unless alternative facilities at Heysham or Birkenhead are unavailable or in an emergency.

Responses to other FoI requests show the DoI is predicting annual costs of £400,000 for dredging and £100,000 for riverside maintenance, while £306,284 was spent on dredging between June 2024 and the end of May this year.

The requests were submitted by election candidate Alf Caine.

He said the documents disclosed so far raise significant questions about long-term repair and maintenance obligations, dredging liabilities, restrictions on the use of the site and the lack of an obvious break clause.

Mr Caine said: ‘The ongoing cost is a major concern.

‘The lease lasts until 2252. The questions about what it will ultimately cost the taxpayer should not have to wait that long.’

A DoI spokesperson said: ‘The department secured a 233-year ground lease for the land on which the Liverpool ferry terminal was built through a one-off payment, with no future rent reviews or ongoing lease escalation costs.

‘This provides long-term certainty over costs while safeguarding a strategically important transport link for generations to come.

‘Throughout the acquisition process, the department obtained independent professional valuation advice from experienced chartered surveyors in Liverpool specialising in commercial property and land valuations.

‘That advice informed negotiations and assisted the department in securing terms that reflected the value of the site.’