I was a little confused by last weeks Journal article No to listing , and thought that I would try to clarify the situation. The Coastguard Station in Budleigh Salterton (excluding the Longboat house/caf�) is now Grade II listed. The listing advice repo

I was a little confused by last weeks Journal article "No to listing", and thought that I would try to clarify the situation.

The Coastguard Station in Budleigh Salterton (excluding the Longboat house/caf�) is now Grade II listed. The listing advice report of January 29, 2010, describes the site as follows;

"The complex is arranged with the terrace of eight two-storey coastguard cottages to the north with their associated WC and coal sheds to the north concealed from Coastguard Road by a high section of boundary wall. The two petty officers, cottages and an officer's house with associated WCs and coal sheds are to the east of the site. The single-storey rocket cart house and wash house is to the north�west corner of the complex and the steps are to the south-west corner, linking the station to the boathouse on Marine Parade."

It is clear from the report that the coastguard station is quote "an unusually complete group of Coastguard buildings" and quote "an unusually complete ensemble with a rare survival of a rocket cart house". The complex is described as quote "an intact group of functionally related coastguard buildings and structures". There would seem to be only one comparable group in the country with a boathouse and that is at King's Lynn, Norfolk.

It is also clear to me that the Longboat House would have been included in the listing if it were not for the quote "irreversible change which seriously undermines its claims to inclusion".

Some of this change is recent: much of it is of many years standing, however. While the boathouse (Longboat Cafe) is an interesting component on balance it is too altered for inclusion within the recommendation.

Despite its non-listing the Longboat House is clearly part of the group of coastguard buildings and adds "group value". It is a rare, if modified, survivor and contributes to the apparent uniqueness (rocket cart house and boathouse) of the group. It is the part of the complex most noticeable to our seafront visitors, and so acts as a link into the history of the Coastguard station and service, and the smuggling and fishing history of this area.

M Crear,

Fore Street,

Budleigh Salterton.