A DECISION over Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) contracts in Bridgend county borough has been deferred this month while councillors explore their options in more depth.
The report came at a monthly cabinet meeting held by Bridgend Council on January 14, and discussed terms of a contract extension with the RNLI for beach lifeguarding services in the area.
Council bosses in attendance heard how a “long-standing and successful partnership” currently existed between the authority and the RNLI in relation to beach and water safety services after two previous agreements.
It said that the service, which covers beaches such as Rest Bay, Sandy Bay and Trecco Bay, were key to the ongoing safety of the area with a total of 949 people being aided in the last five years, including 12 cases where people had their lives saved.
The report said: “These agreements have provided value for money, been delivered successfully, and provided a level of safety for beach visitors which would otherwise not have been available.

“It is considered that the service has become a core element of the offer for tourists to the area and assisted the County Borough in maintaining two Blue Flag beaches.”
However, with the current contract now coming to an end in 2024 members where told they will have to consider their options moving forward, for how they want their contribution towards the service to be funded.
Cabinet are being asked to decide between four options which include continuing the service with a 4% increase in costs plus additional costs linked to inflation (CPI) or simply continuing with their current financial commitment alongside annual inflation.
A third option, if chosen, would see a freeze in the current levels of funding with no allowance for CPI – though it was noted that this would result in cuts to the local service.
Finally, the council could choose to withdraw from the contract altogether at a saving of £38,000 per year, however this was not recommended by officers as it would leave the beaches in Bridgend County Borough with no lifeguarding service, as well as resulting in the loss of all Blue Flag status
The report led to discussions between members who debated the options, with councillors torn between paying the increased fees or maintaining the service as it is.
They later decided to defer the decision to a cabinet meeting in February of 2024 while they gain more understanding of the options as well as looking at other forms of funding that might be found to go towards the service.