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A RENAISSANCE

FOR THE RESORTS?

There are approximately four million people who live in or

near the 120 or so seaside resorts spread around the 6,250

miles of English coast. The combined population is greater

than that of Wales and many English regions, and, as can

be seen in the map, coastal deprivation rings the country. If 

we were to roll-up the English coast into its own region, the

It may seem at odds to suggest all is not well with our much loved and historic

coastal towns, given the anticipation of a recession-driven resurgence in domestic

visitors to the UK’s seaside resorts. But, says Patrick Browne, Policy Officer at

Lincolnshire County Council and co-ordinator of the Coastal Communities Alliance

(CCA), these are anxious times for coastal communities and professionals as

climate change and deprivation disturbs the coastal idyll.

level of compressed deprivation would qualify the area for

substantial EU and national regeneration funding. As it is,

many of the dispersed pockets of coastal deprivation fail to

qualify for any support and addressing this issue remains a

major challenge and commands new approaches, new

leadership and new visions.

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The Edgemagazine

THE NATURE OF COASTALDEPRIVATIONDespite years of lobbying, it has always been

extremely difficult for coastal MPs and organisations

to raise the plight of coastal resorts and secure

national recognition for the distinctive form of 

deprivation that exists there.

National statistics have often

submerged coastal deprivation within

large geographical areas but the use of 

small area analysis has shown that this

distinctive deprivation could be

termed “ruban”, namely that our

resorts experience the worst aspects of 

both rural and urban deprivation. Our coastal

towns, for example, suffer the rural problems

of poor communication, isolation, poor access

to services and jobs, lack of opportunity, andaffordable housing. They also experience the

urban problems of transient populations,

poor housing, crime, worklessness, poor

health, low educational attainment

and lack of community engagement.

This mixture of rural and urban

deprivation, set within undynamic

economies, ageing populations and 180 degree hinterlands,

combine to create the unique deprivation of our seaside

towns. The consequences of which are a poor and limited

quality of life for many residents, and higher costs in

delivering public services, such as health, social care

and education.

The problems range in intensity from being the dominant

and debilitating characteristics of many smaller resorts, such

as marginalsed Mablethorpe, to being hidden beneath the

cosmopolitan vibrancy of Bournemouth and Brighton, or the

niche market prosperity of towns such as Salcombe. However,

the scale and persistence of the problem and the associated

public costs require new national and local approaches.

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Lincolnshire County Council. 100025370 2009CoastNet AM85/09

THE SELECT COMMITTEEINQUIRY, 2007The difficulty faced by coastal MPs to gain national

recognition of the specifics of coastal deprivation was

starkly exposed when the conclusions from the 2007 Select

Committee Inquiry into Coastal Towns was initially

rejected by Government, creating outrage among coastallocal authorities and stakeholders. (see 2007 Edge article

Wish you were here for a review of the findings). As a result,

over 40 local authorities and coastal organisations came

together to form the Coastal Communities Alliance, a

network to promote best practice in coastal regeneration. A

more positive second response to the Inquiry was received

and a governmental cross-department working group on

coastal towns established. An RDA Coastal Best Practice

Network was also set up and the creation of the first

coastal-specific regeneration fund – for cultural and

heritage projects.

Coastal Deprivationin England 2007

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COASTAL REGENERATIONBARRIERS AND PRIORITIESThe objectives of coastal regeneration are to improve the

standard of living and quality of life for coastal residents

and to improve the quality and reduce the costs of 

delivering public services.

Economic vitality is regarded as essential in addressing

deprivation and most coastal regenerators strive to diversify

low wage, tourism towns into more balanced, all-year

round, well-paying, mixed economies.

However, the emphasis on the economic as the solution to

coastal deprivation is a concern. Until the current recession,the UK had experienced almost 15 years of unprecedented

economic growth that had enriched many of our towns and

cities. However, the rising economic tide did not reach the

majority of our coastal towns, and while there have been a

number of notable regeneration projects in the larger

resorts, deprivation has actually increased in many

coastal areas.

Given this relative failure to induce market forces into our

seaside economies, and a predicted future of low or no

economic growth, coupled with reduced public and

individual spending, what should be the priority for

coastal regeneration?

If the solution is not economic, should coastal regenerators

focus on quality of life and local distinctiveness issues,

rather than standard of living? Could a focus on the quality

of people’s lives and the environment in coastal

communities (for example, reducing transience, improving

housing, reducing crime, enhancing the public realm,

improving health and lifestyles) actually lead to social

regeneration by attracting new residential groups and new

priorities to the area?

The publication from the Inquiry acknowledged that coastal

resorts, while all different, experienced a similar range of 

socioeconomic problems that combine to produce a

distinctive form of deprivation. These included:

• Coastal erosion and flooding

• Sea defences and regeneration

• Lower employment levels

• Higher sickness and disability benefits

• Affordable Housing, HMOs, caravans

• Placing vulnerable adults/children in coastal towns

• Seasonality of the poor coastal economy

• Need for economic diversification

• In-migration of older people

• Out-migration of younger people• Peripherality issues

• Poor transport connections

• Low educational attainment levels

• Poor health issues

• Enhancing the public realm

• Attracting investment

• Low skills and wage economy

• Public and private sector recruitment issues

• Need for greater business development

While coastal towns are diverse by size, prosperity, access,

dynamism, popularity, culture and prospects, they do share

the issues listed above that impact heavily on public

services. For example, a transient population can be very

disruptive in schools, where the churn of pupils can reach

40 per cent during a year. Similarly, the ageing coastal

population and the enormous influx of summer visitors

make considerable demands on medical and social services,

as indeed do teenage pregnancy levels, high benefit

claimants and the established worklessness. All these

circumstances are compounded by the difficulty of 

recruiting public and private sector professionals in many

coastal areas.

The Select Committee Inquiry found a similar range of socioeconomic problems in coastal towns,

ranging from poor health and transport connections, to greater unemployment and coastal erosion.

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ENTERPRISING THE COASTThis is not a cry to abandon the economic challenge. There

are products and services that coastal areas could develop that

maximise on the location and the existing demographics.

One of the key tests for resort regeneration, especially in the

smaller resorts, will be the ability to generate niche markets

based on demography, leisure, risk, authenticity, history,

culture, design and the environment. In order to developthese market opportunities, strong local leadership, an

enhanced environment and clear visions are required.

The one market force that appears to favour seaside towns is

the influx of the elderly and retirees. Professor Heinz Wolff,

the former TV scientist is a passionate advocate of the use of 

technology to improve the health and independent living of 

an increasing elderly population. He states, “There are gaps in

the market for seaside resorts that embrace elderly people by

actively seeking to build communities that can deal with a

high level of elderly by providing services, security and leisure

that reinforce health, mobility and independent living”.

At the other end of the age range, there are business

opportunities in a risk-averse society for leisure, adventure

and sports facilities that have controlled risk elements.

Seaside resorts and the coast could be natural bases for such

new markets. Energy generation and bio-fuels present green

opportunities for coastal areas, while seaside entertainment

has the potential to enhance resorts, with their existing

infrastructure for entertaining summer visitors. The potential

role of seaside heritage and historical experiences in

promoting distinctiveness and authenticity are also worthyof exploration.

Climate change and flood risk provide regeneration

opportunities, but first there must be a clear national

statement on which parts of the coast will be defended and

where there will be managed retreat. Sea defences that

integrate with public realm and regeneration projects could

have a powerful positive impact on coastal regeneration. In

fact, many areas claim the lack of clarity on sea defences are

inhibiting investment in coastal areas.

While visitors may be returning to our seaside towns

because of the recession, more lasting opportunities are

emerging to review what our coastal towns are now for,

how we can make them better, and how they could actually

lead, not on maintaining, but on reducing the deprivation

that scars so many communities, coastal and inland.

COASTAL REGENERATIONHANDBOOKThe handbook seeks to stimulate new approaches to

coastal regeneration through a realistic assessment of each

coastal area’s potential and promoting local leadership to

find local solutions to local problems. The national

framework for regeneration is creating the circumstances

whereby national programmes can be adjusted to address

local circumstances. The economy may not be strong, but

stronger local understanding and leadership can harness

and drive coastal renaissance through greater cooperation

and realistic visioning.

At a time of climate change, global financial uncertainty

and the new emphasis on the local, the Coastal

Regeneration Handbook will be an exhortation to all those

concerned with our coastal communities to review their

visions, partnerships and delivery methods in order to

create new futures for our seaside resorts. We would

welcome help in developing the handbook by providing

examples of regeneration good practice in your areas and

your visions for our resorts.

Patrick Browne is Policy Officer at Lincolnshire

County Council and coordinator of the Coastal

Communities Alliance

CONTRIBUTE TO THE HANDBOOKPlease contribute your examples of regeneration good

practice and views by contacting Patrick Browne