Opponents of Government plans to close half of the UK’s Coastguard rescue coordination centres have today criticised the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) after their recent announcement which confirms the timetable for the closure of stations at Brixham, Swansea, Liverpool, Thames, Portland and Solent.
Scotland’s Forth and Clyde stations were, in that order, the first to be closed under this plan.
Speaking on behalf of the national Coastguard SOS campaign group, Dennis O’Connor says: ‘it is outrageous that the MCA have confirmed the timescale for the station closures. The new National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) which has been heralded at the axis on which the future Coastguard will operate has not even been equipped or tested for operational capability and resilience so the MCA are continuing to mislead the public and MP’s.’
Stations located at Forth, Clyde and Yarmouth have already closed despite clear assurances to MP’s that none would close until the new system had been fully tested for operational robustness and resilience and this has led to neighbouring stations being instructed to take over additional areas of responsibility.
A handful of staff from closing stations have transferred temporarily to assist in the coordination of the area in which they formerly served but most have left the service altogether. This has resulted in critics accusing the MCA of not doing enough to address issues which affect the current running of the service – while instead relying on an as yet untested future concept.
Critics of the scheme say the closure of stations will lead to a loss of essential local knowledge and increase risks to coast users.
Sir Alan Massey, Chief Executive of the MCA insists that: ‘we are moving into a new era for HM Coastguard that will reinforce the ability of our staff to ensure the safety of seafarers and the public’.
National campaigners argue that Sir Alan is not in a position to offer assurances of this nature when there is critical understaffing at nearly every station around the coast. Dennis O’Connor says: ‘It is wrong for the MCA to put a positive spin on this issue when the reality of understaffing of stations is one of the concern which is still being considered by the Transport Select Committee.
‘Regardless of the spin in the latest statement from the MCA, the figures released recently under FOI give a clear indication that the closure programme is failing and that risks are being taken.’
Chris Jameson from Coastguard SOS adds that in their report last year, the Transport Select Committee pointed to “Years of uncertainty about the shape of the service, station closures and low morale (which have) have acted in combination to drain talent from the service” saying: ‘little has been done to effectively address this situation. They have failed in attempts to recruit staff to stations which are earmarked for closure and concerned staff continue to leave the service despite repeated “assurances” of better and more satisfying careers.’
Campaigners also point to communication failures at one station on Humber which continue to occur on a regular basis and insist that the decision to close Yarmouth Coastguard station should never have been taken. They say that ‘the MCA knew about the lack of resilience in the system at Humber before the closure of Yarmouth so it highlights the Government’s determination to see this plan through regardless of the safety issues’.
Despite the announcement by the MCA which confirms the closures of the remaining stations, the campaign group insist that they will continue to lobby MP’s and scrutinise the plan. Dennis O’Connor says: ‘Coastal communities deserve the support of the public and we urge those communities to continue to fight these plans which are based upon political rather operational reasoning’.
