Pride for coastal community as their dogged campaign pays off
The RNLI has reversed a decision to downgrade the lifeboat at New Quay after locals told the charity an all-weather vessel was essential. Robert Harries reports
FOUR-YEAR campaign to save an all-weather lifeboat which protects a large section of the west Wales coast has achieved success after the RNLI reversed a decision to downgrade the service.
In 2016, a review of the Cardigan Bay coastline was carried out by the RNLI, and the following year it was confirmed the Mersey class allweather lifeboat stationed at New Quay would be replaced by an inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat.
That decision meant that, for the first time since the 19th century, New Quay would not be served by an all-weather boat once the existing one – the Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge, now almost 30 years old – reached the end of its operational life. The decision also meant that about 70 miles of coastline would be left without easy and fast access to an all-weather lifeboat, something described by one crew member at the time as “crazy”.
Shortly after the announcement was made by the RNLI, a campaign group called the Ceredigion Lifeboat Campaign was started in New Quay, which set about raising awareness of the importance of having an allweather lifeboat at the town’s lifeboat station, which was the only one stationed in the county.
Now, after years of campaigning, all the hard work has paid off.
In 2019, it was confirmed that a review of Cardigan Bay in its entirety would take place in 2021, and the RNLI announced on Monday that a decision has been made on the back of that to replace the existing allweather lifeboat in New Quay – but crucially with a new Shannon class all-weather vessel.
A spokeswoman for the charity said on Monday: “The RNLI has announced today that the 2021 review of the Cardigan Bay coastline concluded that an all-weather lifeboat will be stationed between Fishguard and Barmouth, with the most suitable location identified as New Quay.
“After a lengthy consultation process and a fresh review of requirements in Cardigan Bay, it was determined that an all-weather lifeboat was required to deliver the most effective search and rescue service in the area. This will complement Barmouth and Pwllheli’s Shannon class lifeboats and Fishguard’s Trent class all-weather lifeboat.”
The charity expressed its thanks to all those who took part in a monthlong consultation on the issue this summer, which has ultimately led to the decision announced on Monday.
“It was decided the Cardigan Bay coastline should be reviewed in a consultation process which brought to light new intelligence and considered multiple stakeholder submissions which were scrutinised alongside the original data,” a charity spokeswoman added.
“This summer the RNLI embarked on a month-long consultation, engaging with groups and individuals with an interest in the future of lifesaving provision in Cardigan Bay. Members of the Ceredigion Lifeboat Campaign, who worked closely with the RNLI to highlight issues and concerns, were a fundamental part of this engagement activity. Multiple submissions referred to the excellence of the Atlantic class lifeboat but also highlighted the changes in inshore and offshore water usage and potential government investment. The RNLI is extremely grateful to all who took the time to contribute to this consultation.”
Locally in New Quay, those behind the Ceredigion Lifeboat Campaign have welcomed the news with pride and joy, saying the announcement represents a “fantastic day” for the county.
The chair of the campaign group, Richard Taylor, said: “We have worked alongside the RNLI to highlight a multitude of factors, which we firmly believe indicated an allweather lifeboat was the best possible option for New Quay.
“The support we’ve had from the community has been tremendous and we’d like to thank everyone for their unwavering support throughout this process. The consultation enabled us to work together and gave us a voice to share our findings. The RNLI have listened to the many valid and important reasons why an all-weather lifeboat is required. This is a really fantastic day for the RNLI in Ceredigion.”
The work carried out by those who disagreed with the RNLI’s initial recommendation has continued throughout the drawn-out process, with volunteers helping to save lives amid the uncertainty.
This attitude has been commended by the RNLI’s local operations manager at New Quay, Roger Couch.
“I could not feel prouder of the way the crew have continued to save lives during this period of uncertainty,” he said.
“It has been a difficult time for us all, but I have been heartened to see the RNLI working alongside our community to make this complex decision which I believe is the right one for the future of New Quay RNLI. The RNLI has listened attentively to the people who live and work in our community and I have nothing but praise for this new process.”
John Payne, director of lifesaving operations for the RNLI, said that, during the consultation process, it became clear New Quay did in fact need a bigger and more robust allweather lifeboat, as opposed to just being served by the much smaller inshore boat.
“I would like to thank all those who have supported the RNLI and openly consulted with us as well as all of the volunteers and staff who have continued to operate the lifesaving service from New Quay during this period of consultation and since 2016,” said Mr Payne.
“The decision about the most appropriate type of lifeboat for the New Quay area was a marginal one. An Atlantic 85 would bring greater speed and agility, getting to casualties faster. However, given the levels of investment into the coastal communities, the longer-term plans for opening up fishing grounds (resulting in increased fishing activity) in addition to marine tourist activity from New Quay harbour itself, it is my professional opinion that an allweather lifeboat is the better class of lifeboat for this area and the wider Cardigan Bay.
“This decision has been recommended to the executive team and supported by the RNLI trustees at the recent board meeting held on the November 3. We realise this has been a challenging time for all at New Quay who have done a sterling job of continuing to save lives at sea whilst faced with uncertainty about the future. Thanks to everyone who took the time to contribute to the consultation, allowing us to take a much more holistic view of the lifesaving effect in Cardigan Bay and the numerous factors that influence that.
“Through an open and transparent consultation process, it became clear that an all-weather lifeboat is required in Cardigan Bay due not only to external factors but to the role New Quay lifeboat plays in providing all-weather support to the whole of Cardigan Bay in its entirety.”