A steady stream of day-trippers leave the railway station and head down to the seafront. Some shoppers and dawdlers detour through the picturesque cobbled streets of The Lanes. Others walk past the extraordinary Royal Pavilion, with its ornate domes and minarets, before reaching Brighton’s beach.
They’ll spend the next few hours sunbathing, swimming, eating ice cream or maybe riding a rollercoaster on the pier – just like in seaside resorts across the country this summer. This, however, is not the reality for many people who live in coastal communities.
Even in affluent Brighton, the deprivation is not far away. Take the Whitehawk estate, where six small areas are among the 7% most deprived in England (2019 figures). Such communities are beset by poor health, inequality and a lack of opportunities. Yet they barely featured in the Labour government’s winning manifesto.
A recent study led by the University of Manchester identified high rates of “deaths of despair” in England’s coastal areas and northern regions in general, caused by drugs, alcohol and suicide. It is a cruel irony that Blackpool, well-known for its nights out and Pleasure Beach, has the highest rate of such deaths in England.
Coastal communities experience “some of the worst health outcomes”, according to a 2021 report by Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer. This includes lower life expectancy, lower healthy life expectancy and high rates of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
These areas have long been “overlooked”, he wrote, noting that much more research and attention is focused on inner city or rural areas. This is despite the fact that England’s coast is home to more than 10 million people, about 19% of the population.
Unsurprisingly, work in tourism is seasonal in these communities. Meanwhile, fishing continues to decline, with only 10,000 people employed on 5,541 UK-registered fishing boats. There are also “higher rates of self-employment and part-time employment than non-coastal towns, according to the Office for National Statistics, and proportionately fewer residents have degree-level qualifications. Such realities often lead to insecure employment and low pay.
The causes and symptoms of coastal deprivation are often familiar – but also complicated, reflecting the simultaneous pros and cons of these areas. Competition from cheap foreign holidays since the 1960s caused tourism to decline, but tourism was never a panacea, given that the work has always been precarious and seasonal.
The rapid rise in second-home ownership is also double-edged: bringing in money, especially during high season, but reducing housing options for local people. The coast attracts retirees, yet they are more likely to experience ill health and require medical and social care.
The coast is often beautiful, but subject to coastal erosion and the effects of climate change. And, of course, deprivation is far from universal. Sandbanks in Dorset, for example, is well known for being home to the rich and famous.
Fundamentally, coastal towns are geographically at the end of the line, making them relatively isolated. They are not surrounded by potential customers and markets like inland towns and cities, putting inhabitants at an economic disadvantage.
Many towns have embraced arts and culture to reinvent themselves and attract new visitors, from the 100 life-size cast-iron figures installed by artist Antony Gormley on Crosby Beach near Liverpool in 2005 to the headliners at Portsmouth’s annual Victorious music festival, first held in 2012. Work is also underway to redevelop the Embassy Theatre in Skegness, Lincolnshire, into a Scandinavian-style Culture House to showcase arts and culture, and boost wellbeing.
The Conservatives helped with some regeneration efforts, having traditionally enjoyed strong support in these areas. In 2012, in coalition with the Liberal Democrats, they created a Coastal Communities Fund, disbursing more than £230 million across the UK. Projects included improving the Blackpool illuminations, regenerating Scarborough market hall and redeveloping Hastings pier.
From 2015, the government awarded a further £7.5 million through a Coastal Revival Fund to save heritage and community assets, including piers, lidos and promenades. It also gave £1.5 million to nearly 150 coastal community teams to pursue sustainable economic development.
The apparent verdict at the recent UK election, however, was that much more is required. Some 69 seats in coastal constituencies changed hands, mainly at the expense of the Conservatives and Scottish National Party. Labour picked up many of these seats across England, Scotland and Wales, while the Liberal Democrats and Reform also benefited.
The Fabian Society think tank referred to coastal constituencies as the "Sea Wall” in a 2022 report, advising Labour to address their “distinctive challenges”. However, Labour mentioned coastal areas only twice in its manifesto – once in relation to incentivising coastal firms, and once about erosion. There was no mention of coastal areas or seaside resorts in the king’s speech either.
It remains to be seen what approach will be taken by Angela Rayner’s new Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (replacing the Tories’ Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). In particular, how will coastal communities be affected by Labour’s plans for new towns, and 1.5 million new homes?
At any rate, a national strategy is required, as suggested by Chris Whitty, to address the interrelated challenges facing coastal communities. Labour needs to recognise the special qualities of coastal areas, support more research into the problems and deliver targeted interventions – much like the successful Sure Start centres introduced by Labour in 1998 to help low-income families.
In the meantime, I would encourage you not just to visit the coast this summer. Visit again during another season, and explore more than just the pleasures of the beach. Coastal communities are places of culture and history, and would benefit from your support and interest throughout the year.
Take a walk around a coastal town or visit one of their weather-proof attractions – from the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth to the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate. The view out to sea is always beguiling, but there’s much to learn and appreciate by gazing in the opposite direction.
Guy Collender does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
