The charity is hoping local planners will give proposals for a new lifeboat station in Selsey the green light
The RNLI is hoping a new lifeboat station in Selsey will soon become a reality after submitting a planning application to Chichester District Council on Friday (30 Jan).
The charity needs to build a new lifeboat station in the seaside town in order to house their new Shannon class lifeboat, expected to arrive in 2016.
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Part of the existing station, a small boathouse on the beach, is in poor condition and falls short of standards, while the offshore boathouse on a pier is cramped and not equipped with adequate facilities.
As a result, the RNLI is seeking planning permission to demolish the old pier and walkway and build an entirely new station and boathouse.
RNLI divisional operations manager Allen Head, said: “The pier facility has reached the end of its natural life and more recently concern has been raised about future servicing of the structure itself. It’s not really suitable for refurbishment and therefore not economical to retain.
“The walkway is also a source of concern because members of the public jump off it into the sea, a practice commonly known as tombstoning and one which the RNLI strongly discourages for safety reasons.
“The allocation of the new Shannon lifeboat presented an opportunity for the RNLI to address all these issues with a modern, fit-for-purpose station.
“The new station would provide all of the facilities required of our volunteer team, including notable improvements like a training room, changing room, workshop, galley, station operations manager’s office and storage spaces.
“A variety of alternative locations have been explored within the Selsey area and whilst there are some alternative locations which could be operationally viable, the existing site, being partly owned, lends itself well to the new facility.”