Sidmouth lifeboat station to be extended

A council has confirmed a lifeboat station in Devon is set to be extended to allow its crews to "respond to emergencies faster".

East Devon District Council said Sidmouth's lifeboat facilities were currently "too small" to house its two vessels.

A meeting heard that three people had to fetch the smaller vessel from a nearby garage, which impacted on how quickly it could be launched.

Sidmouth's independent lifeboat service, which is not part of the RNLI, said the expansion meant it could fit both of its boats on the ground floor and provide the crew with more "spacious conditions to get changed".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the extension would include a larger training room and space for a small meeting room, adding that the roof would have solar panels.

Kelvin Dent, chair of Sidmouth Town Council’s planning committee, said he "warmly supported" the proposal.

“It assists the safety of the public with a more convenient store for the small lifeboat, and improves the welfare and training of the crew," he said.

Councillor Sophie Richards, Conservative, added anything which supported the local lifeboat station had her "full backing".

The council also said the extension would improve the look of a local conservation area as it would be built on a piece of "scruffy" land.

The planning committee unanimously approved the proposal.

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