A council has given its full backing to a campaign to save a lifeboat that has been saving lives at sea for the past 25 years.

New Quay RNLI has had an all-weather lifeboat for 153 years in total and its current vessel – the Mersey-class called Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge – has been stationed in the Ceredigion town since 1992.

That is soon to change, however, if the RNLI goes ahead with plans not to replace the boat after it comes to the end of its operational life.

Following an ongoing battle by RNLI volunteers in New Quay to get the charity to change their minds, Ceredigion council has now unanimously passed a motion calling on the all-weather lifeboat to be retained.

As it stands, plans are still in place to not have an all-weather lifeboat in New Quay after 2020 – a decision which some have referred to as a “disaster waiting to happen”.

Having an all-weather lifeboat in New Quay is set to be a thing of the past come 2020

The difference between an all-weather and an inshore lifeboat

The overall cost of replacing the existing all-weather lifeboat could total millions of pounds as it would include the cost of rebuilding a part of the lifeboat station whereas a smaller inshore boat would only cost around £200,000.

The motion, which was proposed by Ceredigion councillor Elizabeth Evans and seconded by councillor Gareth Lloyd, noted that the inshore boat would only be able to rescue 20 people, whereas a new upgraded all-weather lifeboat would be able to rescue up to 79 people.

Coun Evans said: “I’m delighted that the council unanimously passed this motion. It’s very important that we send a strong message stressing the importance of an all-weather capacity at New Quay Lifeboat Station.”

Matt Crofts, a lifesaving manager at RNLI, said back in September that the decision to do without an all-weather boat was not a financial one but at the same time admitted that there was a duty to be “mindful of how we use the charity’s money”.

That money is raised in its entirety by donations as the charity receives no government funding. In 2016 it cost £485,000 a day to run the RNLI.

Former RNLI crew member Jonathan Evans, who now operates passenger boat trips out of New Quay, gets behind the campaign to save the boat
The campaign has attracted thousands of supporters to its online petition

Despite this the crew at New Quay feel it is imperative that the charity reconsiders and ultimately reverses its decision - one that will leave a 70-mile coverage gap as the nearest all-weather lifeboats will be situated in Fishguard to the south and Barmouth to the north.

Steve Hartley, an RNLI crew member for the past 35 years and former emergency mechanic, previously admitted that he would be worried about the crew if they were volunteering under the new proposed conditions with only the smaller boat to call upon.

“Picture the scene – after 2020 we get a call at half past two in the morning, in the middle of February, and it’s freezing,” he said.

“Someone’s in danger and we’ve got to pop out in a small inflatable lifeboat – three of us on that thing. Can you imagine? I wouldn’t want to be on that boat.”

This view was echoed by Nick Sawyer, a member of the campaign group and Commodore at Aberaeron Yacht Club, who said the plans “put crews at risk”.

He said: “Emergencies will present people with an ethical dilemma, sat on the shore, not being able to go out and carry out a rescue due to not having an all-weather boat.

“In these circumstances the fear is that crews will be tempted to go out anyway.”

Nick Sawyer, Commodore of Aberaeron Yacht Club and member of the campaign group

Perhaps the most pertinent argument was put across by local shop owner Karina Edwards after her son signed up to be an RNLI volunteer at New Quay.

“A firefighter would not be asked to attend an incident in a hatchback with a fire extinguisher and no breathing apparatus,” she said.

“Our sons, husbands and fathers volunteer to save lives at sea. They give a valuable service and put their lives at risk for no financial reward.

“They are on call 24 hours a day and for that all we ask is that they can do this as safely as possible.

“This is a disaster waiting to happen and I would like to know who will be culpable when it does.”

The 70-mile gap, highlighted in red, that would exist if the plans go ahead

Ceredigion council discussed and passed the motion in support of the campaign to keep an all-weather lifeboat in New Quat at a full council meeting earlier this month.

The motion will now be presented to the RNLI, whose Lifesaving Delivery Manager, Matt Crofts, responded to the council’s move by insisting that the decision to downgrade has not been taken lightly.

“The RNLI has a proud history of serving the coast of Ceredigion, with all-weather and inshore lifeboats, lifeguards and in flood rescue,” said Mr Crofts.

“We have been totally committed to saving lives at sea for over 190 years, responding to changing patterns of sea use and lifeboat need. The RNLI doesn’t take decisions like this lightly and would certainly not contemplate removing a lifeboat if lives would be put at risk.

“The RNLI understands there is disappointment within the local community and values the work of Ceredigion County Council. We are listening to the concerns raised and would welcome the opportunity to speak with representatives of Ceredigion County Council to explain why we remain confident in our decision.

“This decision has not been taken lightly and has been the subject of a thorough coast review. A detailed analysis of launch data shows that services by New Quay RNLI all-weather lifeboat in the five years covered by coast review could have been carried out safely and effectively by an Atlantic 85 lifeboat.

“This change of lifesaving configuration at New Quay will actually amount to an improvement to our lifesaving capability in the area. The Atlantic 85 is much faster than both the Mersey and the Shannon Class all-weather lifeboats; it can reach casualties more quickly and it also has a better shallow-water capability.

“By making this change, we will be adjusting the service to better address the risks that we are tasked to respond to in the bay.”