Plans for lifeguard station in Sandown after storm damage

The new station would have a vandal-proof shutter, changing room and observation platform

Plans for a new lifeguard station have been unveiled after the previous one was damaged by storms.

Sandown Town Council is proposing to install the new lifeguard station on the Esplanade beach.

The old station was damaged by storms in 2020 and the RNLI subsequently withdrew its beach safety service due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The damaged structure was removed in 2021 and the site has been empty since.

The town council is now looking to provide a permanent base for the lifeguards, after they were left running the service from a collapsible gazebo.

The former lifeguard station on Sandown Esplanade was damaged by storm

This meant the lifesavers had to cope with issues such as limited visibility and poor shelter for those needing first aid, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The new station would have a vandal-proof shutter, changing room and observation platform.

It would be manned every day throughout the summer while the container would be removed in the winter.

The new station is not expected to be on the same site as the old one, but slightly to the left, to avoid impeding on the stairs to the beach.

A public consultation on the proposals will close on 23 May.