Artist’s impressions unveiled ahead of Cleethorpes Lifeboat Station build

The lifesaving charity has installed steps onto the beach which will be required to maintain public access when the building is in place. Negotiations are currently ongoing to agree a start date for the main build of the boathouse which the RNLI hopes will be complete by mid-2023.

A new lifeboat station has been planned at Cleethorpes for some time; with planning and other permissions in place, and land ownership issues resolved, the project is now able to move into physical works.

To mark the announcement, the charity has released three updated indicative artist’s impressions to show how the stunning new building will look when completed, subject to changes during build.

Mick Fowler, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Cleethorpes, said: “The confirmation of the build of our new station is an exciting moment for all our volunteers in Cleethorpes, both operational and fundraising, as it marks one step closer to being able to move into the new facility.”

The new station will be built on the beach in front of the current station and will provide the capability to position a second lifeboat at Cleethorpes, a more powerful B Class Atlantic 85, which will join the existing D Class lifeboat already on station.

This will allow the charity to respond more quickly, in a wider range of weather conditions, to a larger variety of incidents while keeping its volunteers safer.

The new station will be built on the beach in the front of the existing station and will have its own slipway for launch and recovery of the boats. Currently, the lifeboat has to cross a public road near a blind bend.

Changing and training facilities will also be much improved, and the RNLI shop will move on site as well, giving shop volunteers access to running water and a toilet, neither of which are available in the current shop. In total, the project will cost in the region of £3 million and will be funded by the RNLI.

Community Manager, Nikki Wrench, said: “We have set a target to raise £200,000 towards the cost of the station rebuild and have so far raised £120,000 of this through the amazing fundraising that has been done by all of our life saving volunteers and community supporters. We need your help to raise the remaining £80,000 so that our volunteer crew can continue to save lives, train safely and provide the local community with this critical service.”

Jamie King, Area Lifesaving Manager for Humber and Lincolnshire, added: “This new station will represent a huge change, not only to the lifesaving service we provide to the local area, but also to the way our volunteers can train and operate, in a much safer and more efficient environment than is possible in the current building.”

The station is due to be completed in mid-2023. The next phase of building works will be the most disruptive; discussions regarding the required construction licences are still ongoing, alongside tendering and detailed planning.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

· Attached are three artist’s impressions of the new lifeboat station. All image credits to RNLI.

· A video of the latest coastal safety messaging can be downloaded here

· Keep up to date with relevant water safety advice on social media by searching #RespectTheWater

· The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations around the coast of the UK and Ireland, and they continue to launch to those in peril at sea

· To donate to the RNLI go to RNLI.org/GoDonate

For more information, please contact Matt McNally, Lifeboat Press Officer for Cleethorpes RNLI on 07771-797556 or [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

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