A ferry expert is hoping to take control of a quiet Kent port and relaunch passenger services after a series of meetings with senior politicians who have backed his idea.

Bill Moses, a veteran of 45 years in the industry, has outlined plans for an operator to carry up to 500,000 passengers by its second year of full-time operation at the Port of Ramsgate.

The commercial docks have laid largely dormant since TransEuropa Ferries went bust two years ago, owing £3.4 million in unpaid fees to the site owner Thanet council, which wrote off the money.

Mr Moses, who was born in Ramsgate, said economic conditions were ripe for a passenger service despite several previous failures, including Sally Line, which he ran in the 1990s.

He has had meetings with Kent County Council and Thanet South MP Craig Mackinlay, as well as Thanet council, and says he has attracted interest on the other side of the Channel.

"It is surely time to invite local residents to a public meeting to seek their endorsement of proposals for a more professional approach...” - Bill Moses, passenger and freight shipping consultant

He said: “My interest and involvement is driven by experience, industry contacts and a heartfelt desire to see Ramsgate fulfil its enormous potential as a ferry port.

"I want it to be an economic powerhouse for Thanet with all the jobs and economic gains that would follow.

“We have tremendous support from the other side of the Channel.

"Unless Thanet District Council provides evidence that a credible ferry operator is in the offing, it is surely time to invite local residents to a public meeting to seek their endorsement of proposals for a more professional approach.”

Former Port of Ramsgate chairman Mr Moses said he would aim to run a service of less than four hours, ruling out a repeat of TransEuropa’s route to Ostend, which he thinks was too long.

Thanet and East Kent Chamber of Commerce, of which Mr Moses is chair, has backed the proposals.

Chief executive David Foley, who also runs Dover Chamber of Commerce, said: “Who is best placed to manage the port? Is it the district council – which has a duty to look after schools and bin collections – or a professional organisation?

“At the moment Ramsgate port is going to rack and ruin and we are losing a very valuable source of jobs and employment.

“The conditions that led to the demise of TransEuropa three to four years ago are not the situation now. We have the fastest growing economy in the G7 nations and £100 billion of trade a year going through Dover.

“At the moment Ramsgate port is going to rack and ruin and we are losing a very valuable source of jobs and employment..." - David Foley, Thanet and East Kent Chamber of Commerce

“Bill is probably the No 1 figure in the industry. He goes around the world solving port problems. Why can’t we use his service here? I’m doing my level best to keep him interested.”

In his day job, Bill Moses advises and investigates due diligence for governments, private equity companies and ferry operators around the world.

Born in Ramsgate, his family established a ship repair business, boatbuilding skills and a fishing fleet before Ramsgate developed. Their shipyard was on the site of the ferry terminal.

He became Sally Line boss and chairman of Port Ramsgate Limited in the 1990s. He believes the port has been in decline since Sally Line closed in 1998.

He is a former route director for Sealink Ferries, looking after routes from Dover and Folkestone, and an ex-managing director of the Port of Sheerness.

Thanet South MP Craig Mackinlay said: "There have been many potential ferry operators sniffing around the port which is a good thing.

"The period of crisis in the Dover route shows we need more resilience in the system. We are reliant on Dover but the economics worry me.

"I would love to see Ramsgate up and running with a focus on passengers and not just freight.

"But we don't want another TransEuropa. It has got to be robust.

"I'm quite excited by what Bill had to say. I will offer him every chance I can to make it happen.

"If you walk around it now it is in a very sorry state and must be costing a fortune in business rates.

"It needs to happen or we need a completely different idea for the port."

Kent County Council’s economic regeneration chief Cllr Mark Dance also backs Mr Moses and said an operational Port of Ramsgate could alleviate any problems in Dover caused by Operation Stack.

He said: “It’s a travesty we haven’t got ferries running out of Ramsgate.

“It’s another valve to get across to Europe.

“Ramsgate will never take trade from Dover because Dover is a super port. What it will do is give Kent companies an option.

“The ticket price will be more but if there are any issues at Dover we can have a local way out.”

Thanet council leader Cllr Chris Wells said: "Residents can be assured that intense work is going on behind the scenes to pursue a range of opportunities.

"Officers at Thanet District Council are engaged with the industry, and developing an appropriate business strategy for the current market.

"We met with Bill Moses and his team a few weeks ago, listened to their ideas, and are using some of the approaches discussed in our emerging strategy.

"We remain optimistic about the future of Ramsgate Port and are dredging the approaches in anticipation of winning new business into the port in the coming months.

"This is why, as the landowner, we fought hard to keep Operation Stack lorry parking out of our port and were only willing to discuss government help to develop the port for maritime use and nothing else."