Council Opposes Coastguard Closure

Fears have been voiced by Torridge District Council that the effectiveness of rescue support along the north Devon coast will be reduced if Swansea Coastguard Station is closed.

The council says the main reason for concern centres on the fact that a large part of the coastlines of West Cornwall, North Cornwall and the whole of North Devon will now be served by centres at Falmouth and Milford Haven, with nothing
between the two.

There are fears that lives will be put at more risk because there could be an increase in reaction times and a loss of local knowledge about the challenging Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary.

The council also thinks it's ironic that the area lost the Hartland Station in 1989 which, at the time, was justified
on account of a centre being maintained at Swansea.  Swansea is the second busiest station in the UK now.

In the near future the station will be even more in demand because  the Atlantic Array is about to be erected and potential cutbacks in the Chivenor Helicopter fleets may further reduce coverage from
emergency services to the Torridge coastline.

The council also fears pollution incidents may go unmonitored with an unacceptable risk to  the unique marine environment off the Torridge coastline.