Seaside regeneration and place campaign

Abstract

In April 2019, the House of Lords Select Committee published its report on the Future of Seaside Towns. This paper argues that while government has accepted some of the findings and belatedly recognised the issues that the report highlighted, the ‘left behind’ nature of many of the communities on the coast means that more decisive action is required. The recently announced Town Deals for 100 communities will go some way in helping, but not far enough. Only approximately a quarter of the deals will cover the deprived coastal areas and it is not yet clear exactly how the government expects to allocate the significant resource they have announced (£3.6bn). It is argued that more needs to be done to help seaside communities to come to terms with the changes they face. As UK residents continue to seek holidays abroad, the unique selling point (USP) of the seaside has to change. Shorter ‘staycations’ are increasingly the norm, with visitors wanting something more than the old-style bracing experience they enjoyed in simpler days. Responding to new trends in visits is essential, but the pleasures of a seaside stay need to be repurposed and rethought. To reimagine our seaside assets, investment is required. Much of the investment will need to be into connectivity and infrastructure. To make good use of resource, however, it is essential that governance models have at their core principles of effective leadership, partnership working and making good use of the insight and talents of socially responsive businesses and social enterprise. If this approach is harnessed, the government’s Town Deal programme might make a much-needed impact.