Tenby's new lifeboat slipway saw a special launch last Friday of the RNLI's newest lifeboat, the Tamar class. However, a question mark now hangs over the existence of the old lifeboat station. A spokesperson for the Pembrokeshire National Park Authority confirmed this week that they were expecting an application to be put forward soon for the demolition of the old listed building. Park planners have already once refused a previous application to demolish the structure, which stands on Crown Estates land, but is RNLI property. "Although we are not able to sell the building, various parties have shown an interest in it, but it is up to the planning authority to decide its future," said estates manager, Mr. Howard Richings. The newly-built Tenby lifeboat house has been playing host to the pre-production Tamar lifeboat, which has been undergoing a series of trials. During the autumn of 2005, Tenby station is expected to receive its own Tamar class lifeboat, to be named Haydn Miller. This will be the first production Tamar to go on station anywhere in the British Isles. Last Friday, was the first chance to see the new lifeboat undergoing a slipway launch. The slipway has been specially designed to accommodate the new hull shape of the Tamar, which is quite different to that of her predecessor, the Tyne class lifeboat. Friday's trial coincided with the lowest spring tide and everything went according to plan. As engineering and supply director for RNLI, Mr. David Morgan, explained: "The trials have been extremely successful, with their main purpose to prove the interface between the new boathouse and new boat, and then use the trials to right operation procedures regarding launching and recovery. "Years of planning and design have gone into this project and the success of the trials is a credit to coxswain and crew in Tenby, who have been so co-operative, and also their families for allowing them to spend the time at the station for the trials," said David, whose aunt and family live in Tenby. "Also huge credit goes to the RNLI engineers in leading the design of both the new boat and boathouse," he added. Tenby's current lifeboat, the RFA Sir Galahad, which has been on station since 1986, will now either start a new life at another lifeboat station in October or be used as part of the RNLI's reserve fleet.