Work on Anstruther’s new lifeboat station to begin in July 

Phase 1 of the works to build a new lifeboat station in Anstruther will start on Monday 21^st July, following the approval of the RNLI’s Transport Management Plan. 

The RNLI have worked hard with Fife Council to redesign the work programme and site layout to help address most of the concerns previously raised. The council have recognised the need for the work to begin as soon as possible, in order for the project to be financially viable, but also to protect those working in the marine environment. The initial two weeks of work will have little or no impact on car parking at the East Basin. 

The revised plans help to address the key concerns which were raised when a start date for the work was first announced in March. These include: 

• 20 car parking spaces at East Basin car park will remain throughout the building work 

• 50 parking spaces will be available at the park and ride facility which the RNLI have created behind the Co-operative Supermarket, Anstruther 

• Public access to East Basin beach will be maintained throughout, while part of the beach will be closed to allow safe installation of the launch ramp 

• Tour buses and coaches will be able to drop passengers at the harbour area as usual before parking in designated areas elsewhere in the town. The coach bays in the Station Road car park have been reconfigured to accommodate four buses, and during school holidays and at the weekend Waid Academy will be used as an overflow. 

• Tour operators have been notified, and signs will be erected for coaches and to direct the public to the park and ride site. 

From Monday 21 July, a bus will run daily, during peak times, to transfer visitors and locals from the temporary car park to the harbour area throughout the day:   

• Peak: June, July and August – 10am-6pm daily.  

• October half-term and Christmas holidays – 10am to 4pm daily.  

• Mid-season: April (excluding Easter holidays) and May.   

• Easter 2026 – 10am – 6pm daily.  

• Off-peak – Weekends, 10am-4pm   

Head of Roads and Transportation, John Mitchell, said this week: “We have been working very closely with the RNLI to make sure that the main concerns, which were raised by the community, have been addressed in some way. We fully understand how important tourism and visitors are to the town and we appreciate the impact a development such as this could have on local businesses, during the construction period. However, we also fully appreciate the importance of this project for the RNLI and their need to start work as soon as possible to help ensure the safety of the construction team working in the sea and to minimise rising costs. 

“It is appreciated that there will be disruption to the local community, businesses and visitors, however the RNLI have listened to the issues raised by the community and put measures in place to help mitigate the effects of their construction works.” 

The new station is being built to house the cutting-edge Shannon class lifeboat. The first phase of construction involves work carried out in the water to build the launch ramp and sea wall. With the safety of the workforce paramount, it is crucial this is carried out in the summer. Undertaking this type of construction during the winter months, with reduced daylight hours and an increased likelihood of adverse weather, would pose unacceptable safety challenges to the construction team, as well as prolonging the build time and significantly increasing cost. 

RNLI Operations Lead, Stuart Gudgeon said: ‘We are pleased we have been able to reach agreement with Fife Council about the phasing of the work and are grateful to local people for their understanding. We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of the construction work and will keep people informed about the progress of the project.   

‘The local community has been incredibly generous in supporting the appeal to help fund our new lifeboat station and we hope they will be proud of the building. It will be a significant new landmark in the town and will vastly improve the way our crew are able to operate, providing a permanent home for Anstruther’s Shannon class all-weather lifeboat.’ 

The RNLI are holding a drop-in session at the lifeboat station on Wednesday 2 July from 13:00 to 8.00pm and Thursday 3 July from 09:30 – 12:00. This will allow the community to come along, see revised phasing plans and drawings, and to ask any questions. 

For more information, please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the RNLI News Centre.