Coastal towns need special and focused regeneration attention, says government in response to report

The Government Response to the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee on Coastal Towns has been published. The full report is available online.

The cross-government response to the coastal towns report recognises the unique challenges and opportunities facing all towns, including those on the coast. A few of its conclusions are:

• The Government has neglected the needs of coastal towns for too long. A greater understanding and appreciation is needed of the challenges faced in coastal towns. A national strategy for coastal towns is not a solution to their needs as a ‘one size fits all approach’ is inappropriate, but there are a number of areas that are in need of specific Government action.
• The Seaside Economy report states ‘Seaside towns are the least understood of Britain’s ‘problem’ areas”. We concur with this view and believe the Government does not sufficiently appreciate the needs of coastal towns.
• The Government should establish a permanent cross-departmental working group on coastal towns led by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Its role should include monitoring and promoting cross-departmental understanding of the needs of coastal towns, consideration of the effect of Government policy on coastal towns and overview of any national initiatives for coastal towns.