Blueprint for Future Coastguard Organisation in the UK

The Government's decisions for the future shape of HMCG were announced today. The aim is to provide the same level of cover with nine fewer MRCC stations and 159 fewer staff to operate them. This will be achieved by the provision of a national networked Coastguard operation with a Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) at its heart, which will be located near Fareham in Hampshire at a purpose built emergency services control centre that was originally designated as a fire control centre.

There will also be Coastguard centres at Dover, Aberdeen, Shetland, Stornoway, Belfast, Holyhead, Milford Haven, Falmouth and Humber all operating 24/7. The London coordination centre will continue to be co-located with the Port of London Authority. Dover will be capable of providing backup to the MOC at Fareham. The exisiting CG stations at Yarmouth, Thames, Solent, Portland, Brixham, Swansea, Liverpool, Forth and Clyde will close at intervals before 31 March 2015.

There will be a 50% increase in the number of full time officers providing operational attendance, leadership and advice for volunteer Coastguard Rescue teams at Lerwick, Aberdeen, Bridlington, Walton-on-the-Naze, Dover, Falmouth, Swansea, Liverpool, Belfast, and Stornoway with additional centres at Moray Firth, Northeast England, Southampton/Portsmouth, Dorset, North Devon, Cardigan Bay, Strathclyde, and Oban/Fort William.

The proposals should be read in full at www.dft.gov.uk/mca/blueprint_announcement_final_-_221111.pdf.

.