Havenbridge House at Yarmouth.
Government announces Yarmouth coastguard station is to close
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
4:11 PM
GREAT Yarmouth coastguard station is to close, the government has announced.
The decision has been met with “utter dismay” by Richard Howitt, the Norfolk and Suffolk Euro MP who has helped lead the campaign against the closures.
The Labour MEP is warning that the decision will lead to a disaster like the Marchioness or the Gulf of Mexico on the East coast.
He is now writing to the European Commission calling on them to review whether the decision could breach EU rules on maritime safety and coastal protection.
Mr Howitt had helped organise the 9,000-strong “Coastguard SOS” petition against the closures and says it is wrong to leave no coastguard presence anywhere on the East Anglian coastline.
He said: “This really is a disaster waiting to happen and I am sad to say it will be loss of life life on the scale of the Marchioness disaster or Gulf-of-Mexico level of pollution on our coastline which will get a future Government to reverse today’s cuts.
“Thousands of representations, answers to the hard questions and all of the arguments were won by the campaigners, so it is the Government which is losing today by breaking its own promise of consultation in good faith.
“If my family goes on a pleasure boat ride or my children go swimming in the sea, I don’t want the fear that any emergency would be dealt with from Humberside or Southampton, but that fear is today made real.
“We are all the losers.”
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5 comments
Despite the moanings by Mr. Howlett, a highly paid MEP, this is the right decision. Why does he relentlessly insults the local coastguard teams who will continue to provide superb local cover with their vast local knowledge. I see he now wants the EU to step in and sort out the UK coastguard service, no doubt the EU loving Mr. Howlett thinks Brussels can run it better.
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Port Watcher
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
I am unhappy with the Coastguard closure. Local knowledge can be vital in an emergency. With regard to the young lady who was buried in the sand at Caister, last summer, I believe that the Caister National Coastwatch (NCI) volunteers played a part in the local information and rescue The NCI play a part as the eyes and ears along certain parts of our coastline, with 56 stations nationally , and 2,000 men and women giving up their spare time to watch the beaches, ports and coastline in England. This group started after the Coastguard cutbacks that removed manned sea watches. Our beaches and coastline are in the hands of people who care, and are willing to give their spare time, because they care'. The NCI and other simular groups receive no central funding, and rely on public donations. If anyone cares, they should join their local group and be the eyes and ears along the coastline. I joined a few weeks ago and have enjoyed every minute....4 hours a week can save lives.
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Peter Kirkpatrick
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
I have noticed that our local mp has not said anything again or is he just sitting back to let it all close as he did state that cuts from this service were needed but did not believe that not only would jobs be lost but lives put in danger. Roll on election time.
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loco
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
why doesn't this idiot Howlett get it?? THERE WILL STILL BE HM COASTGUARD ON THE EAST COAST... All humberside or southampton do will task the relevant team...the rest is co-ordinated on the ground!! The arguement was used that when the girl was buried at Caister, it was the local knowledge of the ops room that knew where she was...although a possibility, that argument is not valid. Humber Coastguard in Bridlington for example covers to almost the scottish borders, you cant tell me they know every beach, every cove every landmark. From a resilience point of view it is a great decision. Currently, if Belfast Coastguard is on fire, then Liverpool take control, but what happens if Liverpool currently has a powercut or is offline...there is no backup for the backup. Under this decision Dover, Southampton, Humber, anyone can take control. Right decision and hopefully people can concentrate on the Coastguards who perform the rescues!
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lowestoft_striker
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
well if Mr Howlett was to resign from his comfy little EU job, we might just take the nuLabour freak a tad serious....£48 million everyday goes into the EU kitty.
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nrg
Tuesday, November 22, 2011