Chiswick (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The RNLI has delayed plans to relocate its Chiswick lifeboat station to Wandsworth, with the move now expected to take place sometime next year.
Since its lease at Chiswick Pier expires next year, the RNLI had hoped to move this summer. However, due to rising expenses and challenges in having their new house ready for use, the relocation has been postponed.
“We are now aiming to be operational before the next Boat Race”,
the station’s PR David Clarke told The Chiswick Calendar.
“That’s the deadline we’ve given ourselves.”
Since its opening in 2002, the Chiswick RNLI lifeboat station—the second busiest in the UK and Ireland—has played a significant role in the community.
Devoted workers have responded to over 4,600 events and saved 193 lives on the tidal Thames throughout the years, demonstrating their dedication to saving lives.
There will be substantially better facilities at Wandsworth, four miles downstream, including a new galley that will make food preparation much simpler during lengthy shifts. Since the majority of call-outs are closer to the new location, the move is a sensible one.
They are relocating to the structure that served as the estate’s sales center in Wandsworth Riverside Quarter, a sizable housing development with hundreds of residences.
They were granted planning clearance for a change of use last fall, but they also need to upgrade the pontoon from which they will launch their boats and obtain operational licenses from the Port of London Authority.
“It’s a bit more involved than at first sight”,
David told us.
In addition to requesting permission to erect advertising displays and consulting locals on matters like parking, they are not undertaking any major exterior structure modifications.
“The residents are keen to have a 24-hour presence”,
he said.
After purchasing the property last year, the RNLI started a fundraising campaign. He informed us that although the request was for £2.7 million at the time, costs have since gone up.
The project has grown to be worth £3.5 million, and they are now trying to raise the remaining £300,000.
Within the following six weeks, work on the building’s fit out is scheduled to begin, including a renovation of the heating and ventilation system and accommodations for the on-call crew.
The new station will serve as a gathering place for the London RNLI and have a store and area for public gatherings.
Why is the RNLI not moving the Chiswick station until 2025 now?
Because of difficulties in getting ready for its new facility in Wandsworth, the RNLI will not be relocating the Chiswick Lifeboat Station until 2025.
They had intended to relocate this summer, but interior changes are required to turn the old marketing facility into a fully functional lifeboat station that can be used around-the-clock for crew training, guest amenities, and lifeboat mooring pier upgrades.
Furthermore, the RNLI still needs to raise the remaining £300,000 to finish the fit-out, even though a generous donation has covered the majority of the £2.9 million cost. The move has been postponed due to these difficulties, and the new station is anticipated to open later in 2025.