The RNLI has applied to Gwynedd Council for planning permission to build a multi-million-pound new station at Pwllheli, capable of hosting the new Shannon class of fast 25-knot all-weather lifeboats.
But campaigners in New Quay, where the RNLI plans to axe the all-weather lifeboat in favour of a smaller Atlantic 85, say the plans will be of no benefit to seafarers in the southern part of Cardigan Bay caught in a 63-mile gap between Barmouth and Fishguard.
Huw Williams, spokesperson for the Ceredigion Lifeboat Campaign, condemned “misleading” statements by the charity.
He said: “It is disappointing that the RNLI continue to mislead the public by referring to the Atlantic 85’s speed without mentioning its operating limits.
“It is nonsense to suggest that replacing an all-weather lifeboat with one that cannot be launched in bad weather will improve life-saving capability in the area.
Mr Williams, a member of the New Quay lifeboat crew as well as a town councillor, added: “The RNLI’s move to a 25 knot fleet has led to more capable lifeboats and better response time everywhere except for Ceredigion, where we face a return to the all-weather response times of the 1970s and 80s.”
An RNLI spokesperson told the Cambrian News that a 2016 coastal review concluded that having 25-knot Shannon-class all-weather lifeboats at Barmouth and Pwllheli would ensure the RNLI could continue a "comprehensive" lifesaving service without the need to station an all-weather lifeboat at New Quay.
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