Regeneration players and coastal networks

Government Offices and RDAs

Moving inland, Government Offices (GOs) and the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), with their influence over large amounts of European Union and national regeneration funding and their connections with government departments, are clearly important partners for LAs in securing project funding, promoting coastal issues, supporting project delivery and addressing deprivation issues.

A sample of coastal activities by GOs include:

• coastal studies of flood risk;
• supporting LSPs and LAAs;
• processing projects for the SeaChange initiative;
• addressing coastal housing issues;
• facilitating a Seaside Violent Crime conference;
• supporting delivery vehicles, such as the Blackpool Task Force, and promoting the Flyde coast MAA.

See Chapter 15 for further details on GOs’ coastal regeneration activities.

England’s nine RDAs were established in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development. As with GOs, RDAs work in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations to deliver their strategic objectives. Among coastal projects that RDAs have been involved in are:

• developing coastal strategies;
• promoting renewable energy research;
• supporting tourism research;
• developing resort action plans;
• supporting heritage initiatives.

A fuller review of individual RDAs’ coastal regeneration activities appear in Chapter 15.

However, given the economic-growth emphasis of regional players and the intense competition from urban areas, the relatively undynamic nature of many resort economies – coupled with higher-output, inland urban claims – can make them less attractive for funding streams that support opportunity over need, and require strong coastal leadership, direction and creativity.

At the national level, all government departments impact on coastal resorts to varying degrees, as indeed they do in all areas, in delivering substantial programmes of public service and maintaining employment. However, it is the distinctly coastal interlocking issues of low educational attainment, poor health, lack of business development, growing worklessness and increasing incapacity benefit claimants that contribute to coastal deprivation, and that merit government policy reviews on service delivery.