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No resolution in sight for closed lifeboat station

03 Feb 2025 3 minute read
Mumbles Pier & Lifeboat Station. Image by Sarah Morgan Jones

Richard Youle, local democracy reporter

It has been two years since the lifeboat station at the end of Mumbles Pier closed, with no quick resolution in sight.

The RNLI lifeboat station was closed two years ago, due to safety concerns over structural issues.

Swansea Council has expressed worries alongside the RNLI over the lack of access to the station.

Two-year closure

The RNLI lifeboat station at the end of the pier was built just over a decade ago at a cost of around £11m, housing what was then Mumbles’s new all-weather lifeboat, which launched from a slipway.

Two years ago the RNLI removed the £2.7m lifeboat from the station after it said a structural engineer identified issues with the pier structure.

Since then, the lifeboat has been moored a couple of hundred metres out to sea, with crew members accessing it via a boarding vessel from the shore.

Twelve months ago, pier co-owner Fred Bollom said he was in negotiations with the RNLI, the council and funders to secure the pier.

Mr Bollom told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there wasn’t a great deal to report since then.

He claimed he hadn’t received any proposal from the RNLI or council, despite seeking to arrange a meeting with the RNLI.

Cost-effective solution

The RNLI said it was working closely with the pier owners and other parties to find a cost-effective solution to secure the pier’s long-term future in order to restore access to the lifeboat station.

An RNLI spokeswoman said: “In 2023, the owner took the decision to close a section of the pier to the public due to safety concerns.”

“This led the RNLI to introducing contingency plans to enable our crews to reach the lifeboat without using the pier for access.”

She added: “The Mumbles RNLI lifeboat station remains temporarily closed due to access issues, however the Tamar class all-weather lifeboat remains fully operational from a swing mooring adjacent to the pier.”

Financial support

Swansea Council said it corresponded with the RNLI regularly and shared concerns about the continued delay in restoring access to the lifeboat station.

A council spokesman said: “The owners of the pier are aware of significant offers of financial support that have been made to assist them in restoring Mumbles pier.”

“These include a £1m loan and a £450,000 grant. It is up to the owners to decide if they wish to accept this support and progress the necessary work.”

Mr Bollom said he was very grateful for the offers but said they were contingent on the pier owners providing security such as debt-free buildings or businesses.

He said this wasn’t possible as they had spent millions of pounds maintaining RNLI access to the pier over the decades – the current lifeboat station replaced a previous one – and had taken on debt in the process.

Community

Cllr Will Thomas, who represents the area, said the 127-year-old pier was a big part of Mumbles’s overall attraction.

He said: “The pier being shut is not good for the community at all.”

Cllr Thomas said he was concerned RNLI response times were being delayed by the lack of pier access.

The RNLI said the impact on its operations was minimal because there was no requirement for the crew to gather and prepare the lifeboat for a slipway launch.

The spokeswoman said it remained hopeful of returning the lifeboat to the station in the very near future.


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