Many seaside towns and coastal communities are in desperate need of improvements, says a new Lord’s Report, chaired by Lord Bassam of Brighton
The report argues that “Better access to further and higher education for young people in seaside towns is needed too”. These are key conclusions of the House of Lords Select Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns, The future of seaside towns, published on April 4.
Committee Chairman, Lord Bassam said, “For too long, seaside towns have been neglected. They suffer from issues rooted in the decline of their core industries, most notably domestic tourism, but also in fishing, shipbuilding and port activity, and from their location at the ‘end of the line’. The potential impact of Brexit on these towns, particularly the hospitality sector, also remains an open question.
“A single solution to their economic and social challenges doesn’t exist. What is needed is a package of strategic initiatives and interventions where national and local government work together to address issues such as transport, housing, post-school education and high-speed broadband.
“Places like Brighton and Bournemouth have shown that ‘the seaside’ can successfully reinvent itself. The Committee is confident that if our recommendations are pursued seaside towns can once again become prosperous and desirable places to live in and visit.”
The report can be read in full here.
The main findings and conclusions from the report include:
The challenges of peripherality in coastal areas can be overcome by improving digital connectivity. The Government should promote initiatives to support digital connectivity in coastal communities specifically. It should engage with local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and businesses in remote coastal communities to understand how better digital connectivity, such as high-speed broadband, can be delivered.
Limited access to education, particularly to FE and HE institutions, is severely curtailing opportunities and denting aspirations for young people in some coastal areas. The Government needs to facilitate partnership working between the FE and HE sectors, and local business and industry, in coastal and other isolated areas.
Many seaside towns feel left behind by national strategies aimed at increasing economic growth and productivity. Local Industrial Strategies present a key opportunity for renewed focus on addressing the skills gaps, low-wage economies and aspiration challenges faced by many coastal communities.
The Coastal Communities Fund is viewed as too small scale to support sustainable regeneration. The Government should review the Fund’s effectiveness. If it is making a positive impact, then it should continue with it and increase the Fund’s resources.
