PLANS to build a new lifeguard station and surf lifesaving clubhouse at Crantock Beach have been given the go ahead after receiving a swell of support.

Crantock Surf Life Saving Club has received planning permission to replace its dilapidated facility with new off grid prefabricated building.

The new facility will support the club to continue training young people and promoting beach safety, where members learn essential lifesaving skills and develop a respectful relationship with the sea.

The surf lifesaving club says a more “resilient, future-fit space” is essential due to coastal conditions and shifting dunes.

The design stays within the existing footprint to protect the dune habitat, improves visibility across the beach for safety and rescues and minimises impact on the landscape while adapting to the changing coastline.

A small second-storey addition will help maintain clear sightlines across the beach, especially towards the Gannel Estuary.

Club fundraising officer, Lisa Sensier, said: “This is a fantastic milestone for our club.

“The new hut will not only provide a brilliant, resilient facility for our current members and community but will also secure the future of the club for generations to come.”

Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, visited the club earlier this year to hear about the fundraising to improve the facilities.

She also met a member of the Making Space for Sand team during the visit, which is a government funded coastal resilience project led by Cornwall Council supporting communities like Crantock to adapt to coastal change.

The project responds to increasing pressures facing Cornwall’s coastline, including rising sea levels, erosion, greater storm activity, and shifting sands.

It has helped the club remain operational following changes to the beach’s access and dune structure by providing secure container units to protect equipment at all tide levels.

The project also identified that a new, more resilient clubhouse could be built safely on the existing site and has contributed funding towards its redevelopment.

Cllr Loic Rich, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “Crantock Surf Life Saving Club is a great example of how communities are working together to adapt to coastal change.

“The new building will help the club and RNLI operate on the beach for many more years which is important not only for residents but also for beach safety which is essential for Cornwall’s coastal economy.”

Crantock Surf Life Saving Club has around 190 members, primarily young people, and a long waiting list.

Jayne Kirkham MP said: “We live on a peninsula, surrounded by sea on all sides.

“It is essential that our children can navigate the sea safely and also understand how their coastline is changing.”

Recent data in the second phase of the Shoreline Management Plan, adopted by Cornwall Council in 2011, indicates increasing pressure from rising sea levels and more frequent storms. In some areas, this will mean maintaining or strengthening defences; in others, it will involve adapting to change, including relocating infrastructure such as roads, car parks and buildings.

Projections at Crantock indicate that the car park will eventually over the years be lost to coastal change.