Economic challenges and cultural regeneration in four South East coastal towns

English Heritage - barriers and unintended consequences in coastal regeneration!

There now appears to be a national consensus that coastal communities are worthy of significant investment, but that any such initiatives will face major challenges. Most of these are faced by any community seeking to strengthen their economy and enhance their historic character, but some issues are peculiar to coastal communities. From a heritage-sector perspective, our experience tells us that there are two ways to consider the issues that can arise in projects such as these:

• as barriers to achieving regeneration objectives;

• as unintended consequences for the historic environment created by regeneration schemes.

Barriers to achieving regeneration objectives

In many coastal towns, the historic environment (eclectic architecture, colourful gardens, exotic piers, extravagant bandstands, busy promenades, bustling harbour etc.) is a significant element in the original ‘unique selling point’ that attracted visitors and businesses in the first place. English Heritage’s experience suggests that regeneration projects that integrate investment in the historic environment within wider regeneration programmes are those that have the greatest impact and create the most eye-catching and long-lasting results.

Analysis of successful regeneration projects identifies a number of common principles and valuable transferable lessons running through them, and these are set out in Regeneration and the Historic Environment. But equally there are a number of common barriers that can delay, disrupt or even ultimately derail the best intentions of heritage-led regeneration. Some of these are perhaps well known and create similar problems in all types of regeneration schemes:

• Partnership working / stakeholders. All types of regeneration projects need the widest possible range of stakeholders to maximise their chances of success. Without establishing links to other departments within the local authority and external stakeholders there is an obvious risk that a project will focus on a single objective without taking account of other issues or ongoing projects in the locality.

• Leadership. Strong political leadership is vital to get key decisions made, strategies agreed and funding delivered. Clear reporting lines with straightforward governance structures are also important in terms of ensuring projects continue to reflect corporate priorities and are fully supported by other parts of the local authority. English Heritage’s network of elected member ‘Heritage Champions’ in local authorities (around 80 per cent of English councils have now appointed a Champion) offers an excellent opportunity for political leadership of heritage-led regeneration projects and a direct link to embed ‘heritage thinking’ in a local authority’s future strategy.

• Challenges. There is sometimes a short term view that fails to see beyond the challenges and towards the benefits of the historic environment. There is an often a perception that historic buildings and areas are difficult to deal with – awkward to navigate through the planning system with extra red-tape and expense to deal with. However, historic buildings provide a quality environment to live and work in. Refurbishment and reuse will also ensure the retention of the sense of place and the distinctive coastal character that matter to residents and visitors.

There are also some issues that are peculiar to heritage-led regeneration projects:

• The balancing act. Heritage can play a variety of roles in coastal regeneration. It can be the catalyst for local revitalisation (e.g.the refurbishment of Cromer Pier), or it can be complementary to other regeneration strategies that are already some way to achieving their goals, such as the public art focusing on the maritime history of Whitehaven. The historic environment will play some kind of role, even if only as a backdrop, in almost every coastal regeneration project. Ensuring that it is integrated as a prominent, high-quality component to these kinds of project will create an excellent platform for increased confidence in the locality and will reinforce a sense of place and belonging for the community.

• Using the historic environment to address local circumstances. There is a risk that the focus of a project on the retention of an historic building will overlook issues about its end-use and revenue costs. However, the reverse of this situation is that heritage assets can be used to address specific local issues, such as the lack of affordable housing. For example, Great Yarmouth Borough Council has created a number of innovative partnerships with housing associations to refurbish and convert vacant historic buildings to address the pressing local need for affordable housing.

• Measuring impact. It can be difficult for heritage-led regeneration projects to quantify the effect that they have had on their local area, and in particular the impact they have had in non-monetary terms – for example, attitudes to the local environment or the way that people regard the retail offer. Evidence of such impacts is crucial in demonstrating the benefits of such projects, and benchmarking of the initial situation is important to be able to measure success. Nevertheless, projects such as the evaluation of the Falmouth Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme have been able to demonstrate the impact and achievements of heritage-focused funding. Similarly, an in-depth analysis by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) of its Townscape Heritage Initiative funding stream has not only focused on economic regeneration and improvements to physical appearance, but has also looked at measuring effects on public perception and the quality of life. These have demonstrated clear benefits, including a ‘multiplier’ effect where the HLF’s funding has been aligned with other regeneration projects.

Unintended consequences for the historic environment created by regeneration schemes

Regeneration projects are, by definition, intended to have a significant impact on the area in question and aim to raise the quality of the local environment. Nevertheless, owing to their scale, major projects can also have unforeseen consequences for local distinctiveness and the character of the historic environment. There is a danger that development designed to regenerate coastal towns could potentially detract from the special character that originally made them attractive. Interventions that are inappropriate can be caused by a number of underlying reasons.

• Physical improvements to the local environment are only one element of comprehensive regeneration and will almost always need to be complemented by efforts to stimulate economic and social regeneration. As part of an overall programme, regeneration schemes will often have consequent implications for local character and distinctiveness. Undertaking proper research and ensuring it informs the masterplanning of regeneration strategies allows informed decisions to be made about future development. Historic landscape characterisation and historic area assessments are central to establishing such understanding and much work has been done by English Heritage and others that can be filtered into this process. Ensuring that development is both sympathetic and responds to its context is a vital step in ensuring its long-term sustainability. Without starting from this position of understanding, regeneration projects can cause urban design conflicts. Regeneration strategies such as those containing plans for iconic new buildings or large scale retail development can compromise distinctive coastal or maritime character, and careful consideration is needed at an early stage to ensure that such development does not ‘jar’ with its surroundings.

• The implications of climate change, such as coastal erosion, potentially higher sea levels and increasing numbers of storms, will endanger historic buildings and archaeology. However, responses to these issues, such as the increasing numbers of sea defence projects, can themselves create problems. Flood defences can impair the character and setting of historic quaysides and waterfront buildings as well as having an impact on archaeology. However, well-designed, large-scale projects such as the new sea wall at Blackpool demonstrate how sea defences can be installed or upgraded without affecting historic character, and potentially can even enhance the historic environment.

• Many historic coastal towns suffer from poor transport links and the perception of being at the ‘end of the line’. Regeneration projects involving the improvement of transport links can have obvious implications for heritage assets and local character, while the upgrading of port facilities can damage historic harbour structures and associated archaeology. The increasing popularity of sailing and consequent increase in the number of new marinas also has implications for historic harbours and ports.

• Historic coastal towns often have large numbers of lodging and boarding houses originally built for week-long family holidays, and many have been converted into houses of multiple occupation. Regeneration projects that include the modernisation of accommodation such as this can affect the significance and character of the locality. Innovative schemes, such as that undertaken by Lancaster City Council in the West End of Morecambe, have been able to avoid the incremental erosion of character. The local authority purchased a number of HMOs in the area and converted each property into two or three high-quality flats. It then entered into a joint ownership agreement with a new purchaser and retained half the ownership. The benefits are twofold: houses in the locality are better maintained so retaining and enhancing local character and attractiveness, while a greater stock of affordable housing is also created.

• Clarity about the end-use of buildings and a clear business plan quantifying costs and income are essential features for the long-term sustainability of a regeneration project. Landmark buildings and structures in coastal towns that have become disused or are at risk, such as theatres or piers, create strong feelings locally and it is not uncommon for campaigns to be started to retain them. Such campaigns need to be clear about the demand for such buildings (or an alternative use) as few buildings can justify preservation without a clear function or an income.

In seeking to harness the local historic environment’s capacity to contribute to economic, social and environmental regeneration, practitioners need to ensure that their projects have a full and proper understanding of local character and distinctiveness. This is the essential first step in ensuring that the vision for the area makes the best use of existing heritage. Celebrating the colourful past of England’s coastal towns should help to guarantee that they have a bright future.

Information: For further detail of English Heritage, its activities and guidance publications, see www.english-heritage.org.uk and www.helm.org.uk