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New Pwllheli lifeboat station planned by RNLI

RNLI Proposed new RNLI lifeboat station at Pwllheli, GwyneddRNLI
The new station would include an extension for crew and visitor facilities

Lifesaving operations in Cardigan Bay could be boosted by a new multimillion-pound lifeboat station in Gwynedd.

The RNLI said it needed to replace its current base in Pwllheli, which has been there for 127 years, with premises more suitable for the new Shannon class of lifeboat.

The charity said the new vessel offered quicker and wider search and rescue responses in all weather conditions.

Councillors will consider the plans for a new station in the coming months.

The RNLI wants to build two boat halls with a two-storey side extension for crew and visitor facilities at Plas Heli, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

RNLI Pwllheli lifeboat station, GwyneddRNLI
The lifeboat station has been at its present site since 1891

The present Pwllheli lifeboat station, in operation since 1891, was no longer suitable, the charity explained.

"The boathouse will not accommodate the new lifeboat and launch vehicle and the site is too restricted to allow for redevelopment or recovery of the new lifeboat safely," the RNLI said.

No price tag has been put on the new station, although similar developments elsewhere in north-west Wales at Porthdinllaen and Moelfre have cost £8m and £10m respectively, supported by fundraising campaigns.

The plan is driven by the RNLI's aim to reach 95% of casualties in all-weather conditions within 30 minutes of launch.

It also wants to be able to reach virtually any point within 50 miles of the proposed station within two and a half hours at any time of the day or night and in all weather conditions.

RNLI/Nathan Williams Shannon class lifeboatRNLI/Nathan Williams
The Shannon class lifeboat will allow crews to respond quicker and travel further