Councillor Phil Jordan, an Independent who represents Ryde North West, has been named the new lead for transport at Isle of Wight Council.

A cabinet member from 2013, Phil Jordan lost his seat to Adrian Axford at the 2017 election.

Since then, he has been sitting on Ryde town council.

On Wednesday night, he returned to the local authority, fresh from his May 6 victory and accepted a cabinet role.

Under new council leader Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox, he will take on a complex brief which covers the troubled Cowes to East Cowes floating bridge and the ongoing major roadworks through Newport town centre.

Speaking to the County Press on Wednesday, Cllr Jordan said: "I've spoken to the senior officer. I'm going to get a briefing next week."

He promised action on the chain ferry, Floating Bridge 6, which has frequently broken down since it arrived on the Isle of Wight in 2017.

Isle of Wight County Press: Floating Bridge

The £3 million vessel was commissioned by a council leadership team headed up by former leader, Councillor Jonathan Bacon and arrived when the Conservatives were in charge.

Talk of legal proceedings has been ongoing since 2019, but dates for mediation have yet to be agreed.

In a statement earlier this week, the Isle of Wight Council said: "The council is engaged with ongoing legal mediation around the design, build and performance of the floating bridge.

"We are liaising with the parties concerned to agree mutually convenient dates for the mediation and hope to settle those dates shortly.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further while the process is ongoing."

In March, a report cleared the administration that commissioned the bridge.

A report into the procurement of Floating Bridge 6 has cleared the previous independent administration, who commissioned it, according to the group's former leader.

Jonathan Bacon, who led the independent administration, said the report makes it clear any ongoing problems with the vessel are not the fault of the administration he led.

On Wednesday, Cllr Jordan told the County Press: "We're going to take stock of where we are - if there are legal proceedings.

"We're going to make some positive decisions about putting right the crossing over the Medina - whatever that means."

Isle of Wight County Press: st George's Way roadworks.

He also addressed the major roadworks through Newport.

The current phase has closed part of St George's Way, following the completion of work to change St Mary's roundabout into a traffic light-controlled junction.

Cllr Jordan said: "We need to do something about Newport town centre.

"I haven't seen details of the scheme, but I'll be guided by our community and the professionals.

"We'll see where that leads us.

"We have to find some solutions to our traffic problems."

So does Cllr Jordan think Team Alliance, which is made up of 20 councillors, comprising independents, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, Our Island and the Vectis Party, will hold - and work alongside the Islanders?

"We've been working for the community as a coalition in Ryde for four years and we'll do it here," he said.

"Let's have the community engage.

"We won't have 100 per cent of the community agree on 100 per cent of things, but we'll take majority views on it.

"Let's hope, when we do make decisions, we carry our community and residents with us."