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“Seaside towns, by which we principally mean coastal settlements that emerged as leisure and pleasure resorts in the nineteenth century, have been neglected for too long. They should once again be celebrated as places that can provide attractive environments for residents and visitors alike. What makes these areas distinct is the combination of industrial decline and geography. Their location on the periphery of the country places them on the periphery of the economy, bringing consequential social problems. This combination of challenges warrants dedicated attention and support.”

This is taken from the introduction of The future of seaside towns, a report from the Select Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities: a fitting start to the unique challenges facing our coastal towns and resorts. The ‘perfect storm’ of challenges and issues that these places face make a compelling case for a ‘Levelling Up’ focus, particularly following the acute impact of the pandemic, coupled with the significant risk of devastation and threat to our infrastructure from climate change.

• The challenges
  The defining economic characteristic of many seaside towns and coastal resorts is its visitor economy. There is a significant reliance on tourism as the key economic activity. This is naturally seasonal, which in turn presents a unique set of issues around health provision, skills opportunities, transport provision and businesses’ ability to recover from the impact of Covid-19 (particularly in retail, leisure and hospitality).
• The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) 2021 annual report highlights the substantially higher burden of physical and mental health conditions in coastal communities. The health challenges of coastal towns are serious and the report shows there is more in common between them than their nearest inland neighbours. An ageing resident population, higher levels of economic inactivity (in some areas) and a recruitment crisis in health and social care combine to create a high burden of health challenges and inequalities. The spiral of deprivation is exacerbated by seasonal accommodation being available at low cost (especially out of season) and this makes it attractive to the lowest income groups and local authorities seeking to address aspects of housing and social care crises.
• The blend of rural and coastal – on the periphery of the country – exacerbates the need for connectivity both in terms of transport and digital, with a lack of investment in infrastructure, accessibility and capacity. The agenda to decarbonise transport and provide electric vehicle charging will add to the challenges and place additional demand on existing infrastructure and utilities. The peripherality undermines the case for investment – any investment case tends to be for the town itself with no inter-connectivity spin-offs.
• There is limited access to learning opportunities and a lack of employment opportunities in many of our coastal towns. This often disproportionately disadvantages young people and acts as a barrier to growth. Pupils in coastal schools are, on average, achieving 3% lower GCSE results than inland schools.
• There is a need for additional funding to manage the threat of climate change particularly in relation to coastal erosion and flooding. At present, this is creating significant resource requirements locally and the risk impacts on investment opportunities.