A new state-of-the-art lifeboat station was planned for the protected waters of the historic Ramsgate Royal Harbour. The building needed to be architecturally attractive building to keep with RNLI policy. It also had to provide accommodation for crews and enable quick and easy access to both inshore and offshore lifeboats.

Beckett Rankine designed and supervised construction of the sub-structure, which was a reinforced concrete platform supported on steel tubular piles. Close liaison with the architects was necessary to provide all the engineering input to the building superstructure.

The selected location was over water near the centre of the harbour, with access along an existing masonry harbour wall. With insufficient space available, it was necessary to provide a new solid base for the building and suspended jetty construction was found to be the most economical solution.