Plans to relocate Douglas RNLI station submitted

The RNLI has submitted plans to temporarily relocate its Douglas station.

The proposals would see the organisation use the Manx Marine building on the Tongue to provide improved facilities for the volunteer crew, including changing rooms, a workshop, office space and a crew area.

It follows longstanding infrastructure issues at the aging existing boathouse, with crew left to use a temporary facility on the Quayside.

"Our volunteer crews deserve facilities that meet modern standards," said Sam Holliday, interim regional head at the RNLI.

"The move would deliver a "significantly improved lifeboat station.

"Subject to the necessary approvals, the RNLI is committed to prioritising this project and enabling the crew to operate from the new facility as soon as realistically possible."

The slipway at the former station on Battery Pier in Douglas has not been used since 2018, and the charity's volunteers have been operating from temporary facilities at the nearby Battery Yard.

Under current arrangements, the lifeboat launches from the liner berth within the harbour, which is set to continue.

The lease for the new base, which is next to the coastguard station, will last for seven years, with a review option after four years.

Douglas crews are currently training on the Trent class lifeboat, which is expected to reach the end of its operational life in 2028, and therefore work to secure a permanent solution was ongoing.

The RNLI's lease on the former slipway station has expired and the site has been handed back to the Isle of Man Government, which it said its future will be determined soon.

Harbour Master Michael MacDonald said the Department of Infrastructure was "pleased to support this temporary solution while discussions continue about the long-term future of lifeboat provision in Douglas."

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