SOS call for Thurso coastguard station
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THE coastguard station at Scrabster has effectively been condemned after being undermined by major new erosion to adjoining cliffs.
The volunteer team which runs the SOS service is very concerned about the risk and is calling on its bosses to abandon the building and find new premises as a matter of urgency.
Station officer Donnie Bain said the building, just off the A9 between Thurso and Scrabster, is now in an area which is too dangerous to work in and he said it is vital a new station is built.
The fears have been raised after an estimated 15 feet of cliff collapsed onto Scrabster beach on Saturday, December 16 during atrocious weather.
The station at East Gills is now only four metres away from the edge, with parts of the cliff said to be eroding on a daily basis.
Mr Bain told the Caithness Courier that he and his colleagues feel that the building is at risk and have sent photographs of the erosion to coastguard headquarters in Shetland.
“There is a high level of concern from the staff at the station about the level of erosion at these cliffs – more and more ground is falling off each week”, he said.
“Even the Tarmac area in the car park area is beginning to sink and the garage is becoming exposed with a crack in the ground beside it.
“The station is roughly about four metres away from the cliff and the building is now in a very dangerous position.”
After the latest major subsidence, staff were ordered to evacuate the building and remove the coastguard vehicle from the garage, but with the status of the cliff now classed as stable, it has been returned to the base.
Officials at the Shetland Coastguard HQ are carrying out a report into the incident and will make recommendations later this year about whether it will be safe to return to the station.
Lerwick-based watch manager Dave Robinson was unable to comment on the current situation.
Mr Bain said moves were already in place to find a new base in Thurso for the coastguard team. Given the latest collapse, he expected a decision regarding the move to be made soon.
“We are now awaiting a report from our area manager to find out what the next step is,” he said.
“There is a good chance we will have to abandon the building and look to be based at a new area in Thurso.
“We were already looking at doing this prior to the fall, but now this has happened it has escalated the search.
“No final decision has been made but I think it is heading towards becoming an urgent matter to find new premises.”
Iain Sutherland (56) lives next door to the coastguard station at Rockwell, East Gills and was also badly affected when part of his garden fell onto the shoreline.
The collapse took around four feet of metal and wooden fencing from his garden and almost dragged his caravan over the cliff as well.
“I first found out when the police arrived at my door the morning after and asked if I realised that my garden had fallen into the sea,” he said.
“It was still early, I didn’t know what happened because I didn’t look outside and was watching television, but I was amazed by what I saw.
“I had to move my caravan as it was tied to a post that was moved by the collapsing cliff. Thankfully it didn’t go over but I wasn’t taking any chances and shifted it immediately.
“Since Christmas part of the cliff has become worse. I have rented this property for nine months and this is the first time it has happened since I have moved here, but there has been a history of cliff damage.
“The house has been checked to find out it is sitting on top of rock and is considered safe to stay. It hasn’t scared me to move out as it would take a few more goes before I got worried about it.”
