Hebrides  News                                       newsdesk@hebrides.biz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Computers

 

Repairs  

Sales

 Service

 

Desktops & Laptops

Phones

Cameras

ipods

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consoles

& Games

 

01851

 

700178

 

17 Bayhead St

Stornoway, Lewis

 

 

Anger at proposal to axe Stornoway coastguard station        14/1/11

 

 

 

 

Stornoway coastguard staff are angry that they do not seem to be getting proper responses about fears that lives are in danger if the maritime co-ordination centre is axed.

 

Two senior coastguard chiefs spent the last two days on Lewis discussing the controversial proposal.

 

Philip Naylor, director of Maritime Services and Richard Wilson, head of the MCA’s chief executive’s office, faced questions from the different watch shifts.

 

A coastguard staff member said: “The general feeling from all meetings around stations so far is frustration. Management are not listening to our concerns or answering questions.”

 

Yesterday (Fri) the MCA bosses had a tense meeting with the taskforce set up by Western Isles Council including isles MP Angus Macneil.

 

It was impressed upon the visiting officials that the priority of safety of life at sea risked being eroded by the changes.

 

The loss of vital local knowledge of the Hebridean coast and sea areas could not be replicated by coastguard officers based in a distant part of the country say local campaigners.

 

Isles’ SNP MP Angus MacNeil, said he will look at seeking an amendment of the Scotland Bill to devolve powers over Scotland’s Coastguards to Holyrood.

 

After the coastguard meeting MP Angus Macneil said: “It is quite apparent that the current plans for Coastguard cuts is driven by real estate considerations, lease agreements and a four year dispute over wages and not as I would have imagined, maritime consideration.”

 

He stressed: “Intimate coastal knowledge is being disregarded.  Stations are being kept open in the South of England because in some cases, the difficulties the MCA would have in extracting themselves from particular sites.

 

“The overall impression is that Coastguard stations are to be far more plentiful in the South of England with even London having a Coastguard station whereas the whole of Scotland might only have one and a satellite station.”

 

Mr Macneil added: “I am certain that if the powers were with the Scottish Government we would not see such a cavalier approach as Philip Hammond’s Transport Department in Westminster.

“We have already seen quite an independent approach in Scotland to Health, Education and student funding, to name but some and I am certain that our coasts will be more secure if power over their protection is transferred to Scotland in the Scotland Bill.”

 

About 20 staff could lose their jobs if the 24-hour maritime co-ordination centre at Stornoway goes under drastic cash-saving reforms announced by shipping minister Mike Penning.

 

But jobs would still go even if Stornoway is retained as opening hours would be slashed to a daylight-hours only operation. The actual schedule would change between summer and winter.

 

Under the sweeping changes Aberdeen would host Scotland’s’ sole networked Maritime Operations Centre.

 

The UK’s only two other 24-hour bases would be located in England.

 

If it survives Stornoway would become one of just six sub-centres with operating hours would be slashed to just daylight opening.

 

Belfast is pitched against Liverpool for survival while either Stornoway or Shetland would shut.

The other four preferred bases are at Dover, Falmouth, Humber and Swansea.