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Coastguard petition.pdf

THE Dorset Echo is backing a campaign to Save Our Lifesavers.

Local people want our lifesavers to stay local and are joining the fight for the south coast’s 24-hour coastguard supercentre to be built in the borough.

Following the devastating news that the Portland Coastguard Station is to be axed, we are backing campaigners who are calling for the skilful men and women who coordinate life-saving responses to remain in this area.

Seafarers, councillors and coastguards are all throwing their weight behind the Save Our Lifesavers campaign.

A new council plan is to be submitted to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) calling for a 24-hour Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) to be built in the borough.

The location of the MOC is still to be decided by the MCA and comments on the coastguard stations closure are being accepted until October 6.

Our readers can help by filling out a petition that calls for the MCA to build the supercentre in Wey-mouth or Portland and by commenting on the MCA website.

A locally-based MOC would bring more jobs to the area and keep our coastguards and their expertise in the borough beyond the Olympics.

Borough councillor Dominic Lonsdale, who is also a coastguard, said: “I am delighted that the Echo has chosen to back this campaign.

“Establishing the National Maritime Operations Centre in this area is not just a campaign for the residents of Weymouth & Portland but one that everyone in Dorset should support.

“The local council has done a lot of work on regeneration and this project would be a major part of the continuing development of the area as a centre of maritime excellence.

“We all hope that the MCA and the Transport Minister will back away from the proposals to re-organise Her Majesty's Coastguard but if that is not to be then we must look forward to ensure we obtain the best result for Weymouth and Portland and for Dorset.”

Seafarer Gareth Peaston, former commodore of the Weymouth-based Royal Dorset Yacht Club, said he thinks the government axing of Portland Coastguard Station is ‘absolutely bonkers’.

He added: “Local knowledge is everything. Portland Coast-guard is the most friendly and wonderful coastguard I have I have dealt with. To lose them would be a travesty.”