Brighton council yet to decide if RNLI will manage lifeguards

In April, Brighton and Hove City Council agreed to review how the lifeguarding service is provided on the city’s beaches.

The council is still yet to decide whether they will continue to provide the service, or if it will be handed over to the RNLI.

It comes as concern was raised over the lack of lifeguards on Hove beach earlier this week, on a warm day during the summer holidays.

Councillor Mitchie Alexander, acting cabinet member for culture, heritage and tourism, said: “Having our beaches regularly patrolled by lifeguards is incredibly important, which is why we agreed funding to keep them in place throughout this summer and are exploring ways to secure this service into the future.

Sign on lifeguard stations says off duty by Hove beach (Image: The Argus) “We have 42 lifeguards currently working across ten beach areas but occasionally we are not able to open all our lifeguard stations due to unavailability of staff or staff sickness.

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“When this is the case, a decision on which station or stations will not open is taken following strict risk assessments and we always make it clear to beach users when and where lifeguards are not able to patrol.

“We appreciate that the temporary closure of lifeguard stations can impact some people’s enjoyment of the beach. We only close stations when absolutely necessary and I would like to thank residents and visitors for their understanding.”

On the potential change, a spokeswoman for the RNLI said: “The RNLI already works in partnership with local authorities and landowners to set up and roll out a lifeguard service on 238 beaches around the UK each year.

“Local authorities invest in keeping their beach visitors safe by contributing to RNLI costs, which helps to meet lifeguard wages, while the extensive training and equipment needed is provided by the charity through public donations.

“If the RNLI service is the option selected, we look forward to our lifeguards working alongside the established RNLI lifeboat station in the Marina and working with Brighton and Hove City Council to continue our efforts to keep the city’s residents and visitors safe in and around the water.”