RNLI chiefs have broken cover in the row surrounding Arbroath lifeboat.
Almost a fortnight after dropping the bombshell outcome of a coastal review which will see the 220-year old Angus station lose its all-weather boat, the charity has set out the thinking behind the controversial outcome.
And it rejected suggestions the u-turn on the promise of a £2.5 million Shannon-class lifeboat in favour of an inshore Atlantic 85 rigid inflatable is a downgrade for Arbroath.
The community and local politicians have rallied behind the local crew since the announcement was made.
On Thursday, Angus Council joined the growing swell of voices calling for the decision to be reversed.
Soon after, the organisation released its first response to the furore.
Earlier this week, The Courier put a series of questions to the organisation after an invitation to attend a Webster Theatre public meeting was rejected.
Its response, in full, is detailed below.
Why RNLI arrived at the decision
A spokesman said: “The Lifesaving Effect Review started in September 2022 and our team met with representatives from Arbroath and Broughty Ferry lifeboat station on five separate occasions to review the data and consider the thoughts and input from stations.
“The review concluded that the combination of an Atlantic 85 and Shannon-class lifeboat at Arbroath and Broughty Ferry would enhance our charity’s ability to save lives.
“However, as the specific location of each lifeboat had an insignificant impact on lifesaving effect, the review had to consider cost and the practicalities of implementation to reach a decision about where each new lifeboat should be stationed.
“The review explored the various challenges and costs associated with implementing change at both sites.
“As a charity, the RNLI must always remember our responsibility to our donors and guarantee we spend their money wisely, while ensuring our lifeboats are always ready to respond.
“While a Shannon-class lifeboat can be stationed at Broughty Ferry with little additional investment, placing an Atlantic 85 there would require a multi-million-pound spend to overcome infrastructure challenges.
“Additionally, the most practical all-weather lifeboat solution in Arbroath would see the boat berthed permanently in the town’s harbour.
“The review established that tidal restrictions in Arbroath harbour would impact the all-weather lifeboat’s ability to launch at low water periodically throughout the year.
“With no tidal restrictions in Broughty Ferry, the decision to house the all-weather lifeboat there will allow for more consistent time on service, ready to respond to emergency calls.”
Downgrade suggestion rejected
“This is not a downgrade,” the spokesman added.
“To describe the replacement of an ageing 16-knot, Mersey-class lifeboat that has served the town for over 30 years with a new, state-of-the-art, 35-knot lifeboat is unjust.
“The RNLI has been saving lives at sea for almost 200 years.
“During this time, we have developed a fleet of lifeboats best suited to the coastline of the UK and Ireland.
“The Atlantic 85 is a very capable lifeboat that offers something different to our lifesaving capabilities.
“Working alongside all-weather lifeboats from flanking stations, and a D-class lifeboat, the addition of an Atlantic 85 would improve the lifesaving effect of the RNLI on this stretch of coastline.”
Safety fears addressed
“Concerns raised over the safety of our crew on an Atlantic 85 are misleading without context,” the RNLI added.
“As the charity that saves lives at sea, the safety of our crews and those we rescue will always be our priority.
“No change would be made that compromised safety.
“The RNLI operates the Atlantic 85 safely at 106 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland – 27 of which are on the North Sea coastline.
“As part of the review process, concerns regarding the (Seagreen) windfarm and safety of the fishing fleet were discussed at length and have been fully considered in this recommendation.
“With one Atlantic 85, three Shannon-class and four D-class lifeboats covering 33 nautical miles from Anstruther to Montrose, this configuration of lifeboats will provide the very best lifesaving response for the area and will allow us to continue to respond to shouts both inshore and at distance.”
Restricted fund considerations
Questions around millions of pounds in a town station fund have also been high in the agenda.
The spokesman stressed: “Money left exclusively for Arbroath will be spent in Arbroath.
“The RNLI has received donations where the donor expressed a wish for them to be used at Arbroath and these are referred to as restricted funds that will be used for the purpose specified.
“Additional money from the main RNLI fund has been provisionally earmarked for Arbroath. These are referred to as designated to Arbroath and can, if required, be used elsewhere.
“Very few stations are financially self-sufficient and receive money from the charity’s central funds to subsidise what is raised locally.
“For context, the through-life costs of an Atlantic 85 lifeboat are £669,000 over an estimated 15-years on-station.
“Over the last ten years, Arbroath have self-funded less than 30% of their total running costs.”
Why was previous commitment of Shannon-class for Arbroath abandoned?
The charity said: “The development of the RNLI’s asset management process has provided a more collaborative, transparent, and informed approach to support decision-making in complex scenarios like Arbroath and Broughty, which meets the charity regulator’s governance requirements for clarity, engagement, and transparency.
“This is particularly important on this stretch of coastline given the make-up of the flank station lifeboats.
“And, like any charity, we are committed to regularly reviewing processes to ensure we are spending donors’ money wisely and following best practice.
“There was a recognition the coast review process could be improved, to ensure external factors could be scrutinised and be more widely considered.
“We initiated this improved process with Arbroath and Broughty Ferry RNLI on September 5 2022.
“During which, we addressed previous coast review letters that were issued and took into account their content.
“We maintained regular contact with the lifeboat station, returning for Lifesaving Effect Review meetings on September 19 , November 2, December 12 and February 9.
“In addition, the station had access to a shared Teams folder containing our data and various presentations, as well as regular contact with their Area Lifesaving Manager.
“The Atlantic 85 is a very capable lifeboat that offers something different to our lifesaving capabilities.
“Working alongside all-weather lifeboats from flanking stations, and a D-class lifeboat, the addition of an Atlantic 85 will improve the lifesaving effect of the RNLI on this stretch of coastline.”
Has total cost been put on what’s required to implement review recommendations at each of two stations?
“As part of the review, we considered each option from a cost and infrastructure perspective, and this was one of several factors contributing to the decision we have made.
“Making changes to an RNLI station and their lifeboat fleet is not driven by cost.
“However, the RNLI is a charity so we must always remember our responsibility to our donors.”
What launching options are considered available for an Atlantic 85 at Arbroath?
“The RNLI operates 106 Atlantic 85 lifeboats around the UK and Ireland and has a variety of launch and recovery options available.
“Over the coming months, we will look to adopt the best solution to suit Arbroath and incorporate this into the new lifeboat station.
Call out data
The RNLI was asked for a full breakdown of call-out data for each station from January 1 2022 to the present date.
Broughty Ferry
In 2022, Broughty Ferry launched 88 times, 36 of which were the all-weather lifeboat and 52 the D-class.
Arbroath
In 2022, Arbroath RNLI launched 46 times, 21 of which were the all-weather lifeboat and 25 the D-class inshore lifeboat.
“None of the 46 calls attended by Arbroath RNLI in 2022 were in conditions deemed unsuitable for an Atlantic 85,” the spokesman said.
Conversation