Without the work, the Gosport pontoon could become dangerous – with a predicted life of just two years.

A planning application for a passenger-ferry landing is expected to be submitted this autumn.

Tax payers will fund a brand new pontoon. The local transport authority Hampshire County Council refused to pay towards the upkeep of the facility, leaving pontoon owners Gosport Borough Council to meet the bill, put at £3m.

Gosport ferry general manager Paul Fuller said they had been working closely with the council on the plans for the new pontoon.

'They have commissioned the architect and are drawing up the plans but we are very much a part of that process. It's all moving forward nicely.'

The state of the pontoon has been a subject of discussion and extensive studies over the past few years.

Gosport Borough Council reassured residents that, although the pontoon is showing its age, it is still safe and subject to regular stringent checks.

Engineers continually monitor the condition of the pontoon and, when considered necessary, carry out repairs.