Breaking news: Swansea Coastguard Station closure confirmed
THE closure of Swansea Coastguard has been confirmed.
Transport Minister Mike Penning told MPs today that the station in Mumbles, which employs 28 people, would close by 2015.
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The proposals sparked widespread anger and a campaign to save Swansea's station collected 100,000 signatures
Stations at Holyhead and Milford Haven, originally earmarked for closure, have been granted a reprieve.
The proposals were announced for consultation in July, after previous ones, which would have seen Milford Haven closed and Swansea reduced to daytime cover only, were ditched.
The justification for the decision was that Swansea already had high levels of public sector employment, such as at the DVLA.
But the proposals sparked widespread anger and a campaign to save Swansea's station collected 100,000 signatures.
The Government has argued the changes will make the Coastguard better coordinated, more resilient to the challenges of the future and will increase the number of regular coastguard officers working in coastal communities, who provide leadership and support to the volunteers of the Coastguard Rescue Service.
It will create a nationally networked system of Coastguard coordination centres comprising:
*One Maritime Operations Centre, to be established in Fareham, Hants, with a back-up facility at the existing Dover coordination centre, both operating on a 24 hour basis; and,
*Eight Coastguard Centres, all operated on a 24 hour basis, located at Falmouth, Milford Haven, Holyhead, Belfast, Stornoway, Shetland, Aberdeen and Humber. The station at London is also retained.
Mr Penning said: "After many years of uncertainty, these reforms provide a clear plan for the future of Her Majesty's Coastguard. They will deliver a resilient and fully networked national rescue coordination service. They will make much better use of the talents and skills of our Coastguards and will provide more interesting and rewarding work with better pay.
"The UK coastguard has a great heritage. This is a blueprint for a 21st century Coastguard that commands even greater respect and it will provide an organisation of which coastguards themselves and all of us can be justly proud."
Under the plans the Coastguard co-ordination centres at Forth, Clyde, Great Yarmouth, Liverpool, Thames, Swansea, Brixham and Portland will close progressively by March 31, 2015.
New coastal operational hubs - providing better leadership, support and training for the volunteers of the Coastguard Rescue Service - will be established at the existing sites at Swansea, Liverpool and Thames, as well as in the Clyde area, and through the further development of the MCA's site at the former HMS Daedalus at Lee-on-Solent.
Following the decision, Wales Office Minister David Jones welcomed it, whilst acknowledging the disappointment for Swansea.
He said: "I am pleased to see Milford Haven and Holyhead stations are to become part of a new nationally networked coastguard system. This is part of proposals to re-structure the UK's existing coastline services. "I understand the disappointment concerning the future of Swansea Coastguard station; however, overall Wales retains two out of three of its coastguard stations, up from one under the previous administration's plans."
But Llanelli MP Nia Griffith said the fight would continue.
"We will certainly contest this decision all the way because Swansea is one of the busiest coastguard stations in the country and has a vital role to play in the safety of the Bristol Channel so the fight will go on to the day the station is closed.
"It looks very political when they close the bigger of the two stations when the coastguard people themselves in the initial consultation stated the importance of retaining the Swansea coastguard station in the UK service so this decision does smell very fishy indeed."
13 Comments
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by daviddorsett
Monday, November 28 2011, 5:55PM
“So- a huge campaign, mass support for the retention of the service, a remarkable petition, a lobby of Parliament and a debate led by Martin Caton - and the governemnt just ignore it all. we've seen it all before when the Tories were determined to put their disastrous spending plans into operation under Thatcher.
when I met Mike Penning at the demonstartion at the Coastguard station I could then tell that he had no regard for whatever we said and that the decision had already been taken.
The consultation was a sham. We cannot trust these Tories, or their Liberal hangers-on, to listen to local people, and we cannot trust them with our safety at sea.”
by RichardCorso
Wednesday, November 23 2011, 6:37AM
“This is not good news for the marine community in South Wales and over the water into England. Seriously surely there is some sort of Health and Safety or even Human Rights issues that this must cover having this major site closed. The problem that Swansea has always suffered from is that it's west of Bridgend which in many peoples eyes in places like Cardiff and London means there's nothing significant beyond Bridgend!!!”
by St_James
Wednesday, November 23 2011, 1:33AM
“So basically if you get into trouble in the water anywhere near swansea gower you do not have a chance, which seems dodgy for an area on the coast and the UK;s first area of outstanding beauty.
Swansea has been screwed over for ages, you only need to go to cardiff to realise that someone somewhere is being far from impartial with the money, while we're just finishing off our bus stop and our high street looks like a dump full of social housing, corner shops that peddle cheap booze to the never ending stream of lost souls.
No high speed rail link, now this. Would still rather live here than cardiff though, the place has no soul, swansea has a certain charm to it, you have to look past the rough,”
by Lezz_T
Tuesday, November 22 2011, 10:09PM
“Pembrokeshire votes Tory,
Swansea doesn't.
So it's Milford that stays open.
What else did you expect?”
by Julesbreadbox
Tuesday, November 22 2011, 8:41PM
“Another proof:
It's stupidity and the stupid that run the world.”
by fred65
Tuesday, November 22 2011, 7:47PM
“And if lives are lost because of these cut back you wont see those who made the decision except the responsibility!It is totally bloody minded political decision by politicians who in the real would be none achievers! Fight on is the answer and we can do it by sending "STRONGLY" worded emails to our Mps not asking but telling we expect them to fight it all the way anyone who can operate a computer can find their email ad encourage every friend and relative send one at least once a week to show the strength of feeling..”
by gorseboy
Tuesday, November 22 2011, 7:33PM
“TaipeiSteve.
Was it not HAmmond as then transport minister who said this? Does this mean that the staff will be relocated to jobs in the DVLA?
Mr Hammond is now in charge of the Defence of the Realm,HEAVEN HELP US!”
by SAswan
Tuesday, November 22 2011, 6:57PM
“"wales office minister welcomed it" , isn't time these politicians started representing us people ? it's our tax money that pay for all these facilities !!!!! these condems can find money to throw at other countries but won't find the money to keep british people safe in this country!!!!”
by clarysage50
Tuesday, November 22 2011, 6:49PM
“An appalling decision and one which we will ALL live to regret...”
by watchwoman
Tuesday, November 22 2011, 6:13PM
“I was under the impression that if you got 10,000 signatures on a petition, it was worthy of consideration - in depth - by Government. As Save Swansea Coastguard collected a 100,000 signature petition - WHAT HAPPENED?? We have had 'visits' by Government officials... Did we take them to sea ? Did we get them to take part in an all night Search and Rescue operation in order to understand just what a Coastguard Station is there for?? Did we b.....r !! THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS DECISION I HAVE EVER HEARD. I'm sure if this was Falmouth or similar there would be uproar, because so many of our Government officials only seem to holiday in Cornwall. The Wales Tourist Board might just as well give up now... OUR BEACHES AND COASTAL PATHS WILL NOT BE SAFE. WHAT PART OF THIS DO THEY NOT UNDERSTAND ???????”