PLANNING permission is being sought to establish a National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) station on the sea front in Minehead.

NCI has been operating in the town since the summer using a display trailer as temporary home on the promenade opposite Butlin’s holiday resort.

Now, it is asking for consent to put in two purpose-built modular prefabricated units as a headquarters, training centre, and store close to the town council’s sea front public toilet block.

Planning agent Simon Booth said the units would be sited to the east of the toilets and designed with a ‘nautical theme’ reflecting the look of the public conveniences and wooden benches on the sea front.

Mr Booth said the scheme was appropriate to the site with a sympathetic scale, form, and massing, and with an appropriate use of materials.

It had been designed in close conjunction with Somerset Council’s planning department to ‘empathetically fit in with the sea front locale’, complimenting existing buildings and materials, and to become an integral part of the sea front community.

The proposed location was considered the most suitable because it also fitted into plans to provide accessible coastal and water safety information for residents and for visitors, many of whom might not know the often-challenging coastline and the dangers presented by sea, cliffs, sand, and tide.

NCI Minehead acting station manager Iain Sherring said the proposal was for the steel fabricated units to be placed side by side on the site.

Mr Sherring said: “The National Coastwatch Institution has a remit to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of His Majesty’s Coastguard and as such requires stations to be on or very close to coastal locations.

“The station and store will be fabricated elsewhere and craned into position at the location, only requiring a mains electricity and water connection which will be taken from the toilet/kiosk next door.”

He said the station was being wholly funded with a grant from the Somerset Community Foundation which had ‘very tight financial restrictions’ and all other funds were raised locally by volunteer watchkeepers at local events via groups and through donations, as there is no Government or central funding.

Initially, the design was for wooden cladding, but such a look might have to be achieved instead by using self-adhesive wrapping.

Mr Sherring said: “I am delighted and heartened at the very warm welcome and positive feedback we have had from Minehead residents and visitors, since we have had our council-licensed temporary exhibition trailer opposite the entrance to Butlin’s.

“Prior to the siting of the trailer, the NCI station development team, on liaising with HM Coastguard, over 13 months, sought to establish a station in the Minehead area in response to historical incidents that Coastguard assets have responded to.”

Mr Sherring said Coastwatch stations relied on the support of local peopple and were an integral part of their coastal community with residents volunteering for a vital life-saving role, networking and sharing with sister search and rescue friends, supporting local events and being a welcome, worthwhile, and respected addition to their town.

He said: “NCI Minehead has a fantastic team of volunteers who are giving up their time, to be trained and skilled watchkeepers, providing all the above to Minehead residents and visitors, and ultimately want to help make Minehead and surrounds a safe and enjoyable place to live and visit, and to help save the lives of locals and visitors alike.

“This can only be done from a permanent station building with the support of our community.”

NCI has nearly 60 stations operating around Britain manned by more than 2,600 volunteer watchkeepers.

The national charity opened in Minehead as part of its plans to improve safety along the Bristol Channel by supplementing services offered by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which has a station in the town.

While the RNLI is mainly a reactive search and rescue organisation, NCI is proactive in passively watching the coastline and reporting potential and ongoing incidents to Coastguards.

Coastwatch stations are self-funded and run by volunteer watchkeepers, fund-raisers, and helpers.

Volunteers do not need to have any maritime or uniform service experience because they will be fully trained by NCI.

Anybody who wants to support or join the Minehead watchkeepers can find out more information on the NCI website here or by emailing [email protected].

The planning application will be decided by Somerset Council, which is asking for any public comments on it by October 25.