Over 100 coastal towns are set to benefit from millions of pounds of regeneration funding, the Government has announced.

Around 1 in 6 people (11 million) live on the coast, with 250,000 people employed in its tourism industry, which contributes £4 billion to the UK economy.

Coastal Community Teams

To propel these figures ahead, the Government has announced a number of local Coastal Community Teams.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark says the coast has huge potential to boost the UK’s economy all year round, not just during the summer months.

The 118 Coastal Community Teams have submitted local economic plans with ideas ranging from a new city centre to developing a new town brand.

The teams were recently given a share of £1.18 million to help drive forward growth.

The plans submitted by the teams cover housing, business opportunities, jobs and skills, health and civic pride.

From Blyth to Lewes

The southern coast dominates the list of Coastal Community Teams, with 41 in the South West and 28 in the South East.

Areas that have applied include Chichester, Greater Ipswich and Dymchurch.

One of the teams is Impact Seaford in Lewes. The aim of this project is to regenerate the seafront by 2030, making it more accessible from the town centre and helping to encourage healthy life styles among locals.

In Chichester, the coastal team is conducting a feasibility study to investigate the costs and benefits of building a small harbour or haven in Selsey to generate economic opportunities for the town.

Rupert Lawson Johnston, Head of Strutt & Parker Chichester says:

“Strutt & Parker in Chichester welcome the news of government investment in our coastal towns. The local area is already an outstanding destination for coastal holiday makers and those seeking adventure on the channel and we would certainly welcome inward investment into the area. Selsey was first populated in Stoneage times and was originally the capital of the kingdom of Sussex! It has survived well through the ages and is now a thriving community which could well benefit from solid inward investment.”

Further north in Blyth, the team is looking at cultural projects and industry-linked educational and training programmes to help put the town on the tourism map.