Leading local figures say it’s imperative the RNLI lay out their thinking to the town behind a bombshell decision to downgrade its 220-year-old lifeboat station.
It comes after a community snub to explain the rationale behind a controversial lifesaving review at a Webster Theatre meeting.
Under the review, Broughty Ferry will retain all-weather capability and Arbroath is to get an inshore rigid inflatable.
Crew summit
Arbroath crew members will get a more detailed explanation of the decision when senior figures visit the station on Wednesday.
But local operations manager Alex Smith and Arbroath RNLI management group chairman Ian Ballantyne say the community also deserve a first-hand explanation.
An invite to a planned platform event in Arbroath on Monday night was turned down by RNLI executives.
Mr Smith, who has been outspoken in his condemnation of the review decision, said the meeting snub was disappointing – but not a surprise.
“They’ve seen the reaction since it was announced Arbroath would not be getting the Shannon-class boat it has been promised since 2014,” he said.
“We have nothing against an Atlantic 85, it is a very capable lifeboat.
“But it’s not a suitable lifeboat for Arbroath.
“And we have nothing against Broughty Ferry getting a Shannon.
“The fact this review has pitted two neighbouring stations against each other is a big disappointment.
“The gripe is with the RNLI hierarchy who have overturned three coastal reviews and downgraded our boat to an inshore one.
“A wall of silence has come down.
“If they have confidence in the review, then what on earth is preventing them from coming to explain that to the people of Arbroath.
“A meeting with the crew is not a meeting with the people of this town.
“We know how the community feel.
“They showed it with the response to a public meeting we organised, and the reaction since.”
Decision process ‘skewed’
Mr Ballantyne has chaired the local management group for 15 years.
He said: “To place an all-weather lifeboat in a river and an inshore lifeboat in the North Sea beggars belief.
“I remain convinced that something or someone has skewed the decision process.
“The decision-making process has been a secret.
“They must seriously look at coming to Arbroath to tell the people of the town how the decision was reached, changing years of promises of a new all-weather lifeboat.”
The charity say the review outcome reflects changes in the use of the area covered by the two stations.
And it believes concerns around the Atlantic 85 are misplaced.
It operates effectively from more than 100 stations around the UK and Ireland.
The organisation has stressed it will not make any changes which compromise the safety of volunteer crews.
Montrose was one of the first Scottish stations to receive a Shannon-class ALB and the RNLI say the review plan will enhance the charity’s lifesaving cover in the region.
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