Anstruther's new lifeboat station update

Why is a new lifeboat station required? 

The new station is being built to house the cutting-edge Shannon class lifeboat. The Shannon’s superior speed and manoeuvrability will allow the RNLI crew to respond to emergencies in half the time, covering a larger stretch of coastline and offering greater protection to local fishermen, visitors, and seafarers. There is no room to expand the current lifeboat station further without the acquisition of surrounding land. A decision was made jointly by the RNLI and Fife Council to build a new lifeboat station further along the shore.

Why can the lifeboat not lie afloat?

The RNLI operates a 24/7, 365 days a year search and rescue service. Housing the lifeboat ashore in the lifeboat station - as the charity has done in Anstruther since 1904 - allows the lifeboat to launch at any state of the tide. This means that when emergency calls come in at low water, the volunteer crew can rescue those in need.

Why can you not expand the current station? 

All options were considered, including a redevelopment of the current building. The most feasible option for both Fife Council and the RNLI was to build a new station along the shore. This will also allow for minimal disruption to operational service for the duration of the build.

Why does the RNLI have to be in Anstruther? 

Anstruther has had a lifeboat for almost 160 years. The station has 36 operational volunteers who live within a specified area for responding to emergency calls. To move the location of the lifeboat would mean the loss of those valuable volunteers. No stone was left unturned, and consideration was given to neighbouring harbours, including Pittenweem, but due to various factors, Anstruther was and is the only viable option.

What will happen to the old lifeboat station? 

A condition of the planning application is that the current lifeboat station will be demolished and replaced with car parking spaces.

How long will the East Basin carpark be closed for?  

To allow for a safe and swift build of the new lifeboat station, it was originally planned for the whole East Basin carpark to be closed for the duration of the build project. However, the RNLI are now working with Fife Council and the contractor to see if part of the car park and beach access can remain open through the duration of the project.

Where will visitors to the town be able to park? 

The RNLI have funded a temporary carpark that will be available for the duration of the build. A park and ride facility will be in operation during peak times throughout the year, such as the school summer holidays and bank holiday weekends. The carpark has been built behind the Cooperative supermarket and is accessed by turning left as you leave Anstruther on the B9131 road to St Andrews.

The park and ride hours were agreed during the planning process but with the understanding that they will be reviewed in conjunction with the Traffic Management Plan and overall demand to see how they might be amended.

Where will the coaches drop off and pick up tourists?

Tour buses will still be able to drop off and pick up passengers from any bus stop on East Shore and Shore Street. Having dropped off customers, provision will be made for them to park in specified coach parking spaces, before returning at a pre-agreed pick up location to collect their passengers.

When will the work start on the new station? 

Work is due to start late summer, and the build will take approximately 18 months to complete.

What about the parking spaces and beach that will be taken as a result? 

The RNLI have worked with Fife Council to analyse the impact on parking and a traffic management proposal has been incorporated into the plans. The East Basin car park adjacent to the new station will be closed for the duration of the build. A temporary car park with seasonal park and ride facilities will be available in the town.

How will the traffic and buses be affected? 

To help minimise disruption, a temporary car park with a seasonal park and ride facility will be in operation for the duration of the build. Tour buses will still be able to drop off and pick up passengers from any bus stop on East Shore and Shore Street. Having dropped off customers, provision will be made for them to park in specified coach parking spaces, before returning at a pre-agreed pick up location to collect their passengers.

Will on street parking near the site be used by those working on the new lifeboat station? 

The RNLI have an agreement with the building contractor that those in the town working on the new lifeboat station will not use on-street parking and will instead use the temporary car park.

When will the park and ride service be in operation?

The current proposed dates are:

Peak: Easter school holidays. June, July & August – 10am-6pm daily.

Mid-season: April (excluding Easter holidays) and May. October half-term and Christmas holidays – 10am to 4pm daily.

Off-peak – Weekends, 10am-4pm

These dates and times will be reviewed throughout the works to ensure that the park and ride service is as effective as possible in mitigating the loss of parking at East Basin.

Will you still be able to access the East Pier? 

Access to east pier will be restricted for the duration of the build but the pier will fully reopen as soon as work on the new station is complete. The new lifeboat slipway will run parallel with the east pier but will not be fixed to it.

Will there still be access to the East Basin beach by the lifeboat station?

The RNLI and their contractor are currently looking at how they can keep part of the beach open during the build. Access to Castle Street beach will be unaffected.

Why deliver a lifeboat before the station has been built?

The lifeboat build programme is mapped out years in advance to support the 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, Anstruther’s Shannon-class lifeboat was completed in 2024. Due to unforeseen delays since 2020, the RNLI had no choice but to deliver the lifeboat to Anstruther and use a temporary compound until the new station is built. It is feared the launch and recovery vehicle (designed to be kept indoors) will need significant maintenance at a considerable cost to the charity due to the unplanned exposure to the elements.

What consultation took place on this?

The planning application incorporates the full assessment of the proposal and considers all the appropriate issues in terms of planning legislation.

The conditions attached to the planning consent are designed to address, as far as reasonably possible, the concerns raised by residents, businesses and the specialist consultees.

For example, the temporary park and ride facility, supported by a free shuttle service, is there to offset the temporary closure of the East Basin Car Park.  The site and associated compound will not be close to established businesses, nor will it result in any obstructions that could inhibit regular access to them.

What support is there for businesses which might be affected?

InvestFife is a collective brand, which incorporates all of Fife Council’s Economic Development services, including Business Enterprise, Land and Property, which in partnership with Business Gateway Fife, aims to support businesses in Fife.

For free, impartial business support, contact FifeMeansBusiness@fife.gov.uk. Further information on the services we can offer can be viewed within our Guide to Services

Why are we just hearing about this now?

The planning permission has been in place since 2020 and at that time a community consultation was carried out, including a walk-through of the traffic management plan by Fife Council and the Community Council.  The project has been delayed but the planning permission is still in place.