LOOE is to receive a £1million investment from the RNLI for the provision of a brand new purpose built station and another and larger lifeboat. This will give the port an Atlantic class lifeboat as well as the inshore D-class Spirit of the RAOC.

The lifeboat house is to be built on the site of the present obstacle golf course on East Looe seafront, which until their demolition in the 1960s was where the old Albatross fish stores stood. The East Looe Town Trust, owners of the site, voted to sell the land to the RNLI, for an undisclosed sum at their meeting last week.

The new station, which will be part of the proposed regeneration scheme for the seafront, is expected to be completed by the spring of 2003. It will comprise a one and a half storey stone and slate building, which will house the two lifeboats, a crew changing and training area, and a small shop. Looe architect Andrew Thomas is drawing up the detailed plans.

The RNLI, together with the co-operation of Looe Harbour Commissioners, is also intending to re-build the Little Beach slipway for the benefit of existing users and to enable the lifeboats to direct straight into the river. At present the lifeboat station is around 200 metres upriver from the seafront by Middleton's Corner and the lifeboat has to be dropped over the side of the quay by crane. At low tide the crew have to push the boat through the street and launch from the beach.

Looe's RNLI hon sec Jonathan Brice said they were delighted at the Trust's decision to sell the Albatross site. 'The RNLI has historic connections with Looe seafront which go back over 150 years' he said. 'This new site is within a few metres of the old lifeboat station which served the town and fishing fleet for so long. The facility will enable us to provide a much improved rescue service'.

The RNLI brought a lifeboat back to Looe in 1992, since when it has launched nearly 200 times and has saved 44 lives. Previously to that, the lifeboat was the Ryder, a rowed wooden vessel which was withdrawn from service in July 1930 when the RNLI closed down the Looe station. She launched on service 12 times and saved 37 lives. Restored by the Ryder Project she is a main feature at Polperro's Maritime History Museum.