Regeneration players and coastal networks

The CCA Coastal Regeneration Questionnaire – Sample Response

Name: North Somerset Council, Unitary Council: Population 204,700 (Census 2001).
Rresorts: Weston-super-Mare(71,759), Clevedon (21,957) and  Portishead(17,130).

Do you think that coastal issues merit special attention in regeneration plans?

There are characteristics within coastal towns that require a different approach. These include:

• Sea and coastal defence & enhancement programmes
• Climate change & rising sea levels
• Perceived remoteness – ‘end of the line’ perception of potential investors and
• economic development
• Public realm projects
• Seasonality
• Transient populations
• Age profiles of populations
• Specific health and housing issues
• Cultural
• Identity, profile and public perception

Do you have an explicit coastal regeneration plan/strategy?

No specific coastal plan or strategy but there are a number of ongoing areas of work relating to the coastal regions of the district

• Business website with distinct identity
• Sea front flood defences and enhancement work
• Weston Area Action Plans
• Civic Pride
• ‘Sea Change’ project to promote the seafront and parks
• Port Marine, Portishead

If the Seven Barrage goes ahead then this will have huge implications for North Somerset district and coastal areas in particular across a range of issues. Two of the short listed options are –

• Middle Barrage from Brean Down to Lavernock Point – known as the Cardiff – Weston barrage
• Bridgwater Bay lagoon – on the English shore between Weston-super-Mare and east of Hinkley Point

What are the barriers to coastal regeneration in your area?

• Lack of resources and funding
• North Somerset district is mostly prosperous which masks pockets of high deprivation including the two most deprived wards in the district, located in Weston
• North Somerset district is mostly prosperous which masks pockets of high deprivation including the two most deprived wards in the district, located in Weston-super-Mare. There have been no Neighbourhood Renewal or Working Neighbourhood Fund allocations in the area, apart from a small SSCF neighbourhood management programme in one of Weston’s most deprived wards (ends March 2010).
  
• Low wages compared to high house prices
  
• Traditional employers in the area that employed high percentage of local people (aviation and shoe making) now gone
  
• Intergenerational worklessness
  
• High unemployment and levels of incapacity and other benefit claimants
  
• Area is seen as dormitory area to Bristol with high % of residents commuting to work there
  
• Transport infrastructure including lack of capacity at Junction 21, M5 motorway.
  
• Rail connections in Weston-super-Mare are on a loop line and off main London – Bristol – Exeter – Penzance route. No stations at Clevedon or Portishead. Campaign running to re-open Portishead – Bristol line as infrastructure still in place.
  
• High levels of HMOs (houses in multiple occupation)
  
• High levels of mental health and drug/alcohol dependency
  
• The number of people sent to area from other areas to undertake drug rehabilitation treatment (Weston-super-Mare has 11% of drug rehab places in UK).
  
• High transient population
  
• Seasonal nature of tourism related employment
  
  

Weston super Mare

As with many Victorian coastal towns, Weston Super Mare has issues around people on benefits and drug/ alcohol rehabilitation. This has built up over many years due to a number of factors including location by the sea, access from around the country and a large supply of Victorian buildings suitable for conversion to smaller units. Other towns and cities have preferred to send their rehabilitees on rather than dealing with them locally. Also large job losses in manufacturing during the 1990s has led to high levels of low-skilled unemployed people and benefits claimants in the town.

A number of actions have been and are being taken to reduce impact of the issues, these have included: use of Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) to improve older buildings which have resulted in some being converted from bed sits to more modern apartments; Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) used to address health and safety issues in HMOs as well as conversion of bed sits into affordable housing units; targeted action at drug dealers and closing down of rehabilitation centres not meeting assessment requirements.  A Ready4work programme provides re-training and re-skilling for long term unemployed in the Weston and surrounding areas.

Neighbourhood Management in South Ward has made a major step change in terms of community engagement and empowerment to ensure local residents have more say and influence over decisions taken in the area and service delivery

General

There are signs that key sites in the coastal towns will be redeveloped soon - early discussion with developers is encouraging. Ensuring the retail and service industries are fit for purpose alongside increased town centre residential development is essential.  Each of our three coastal towns is different and one challenge is to maintain that local and cultural distinctiveness.

8. What are your priorities in coastal regeneration?

• Economic development and attracting investment – attracting high quality new businesses to the area (private and public)
• Employment led planning policies relating to new housing developments
• Employment - tackling worklessness and getting people off benefit (programmes include Ready4Work and bid submitted for Future Jobs Fund)
• Health – reducing inequalities in areas of deprivation in coastal communities
• Education – supporting local primary and secondary schools to be able to raise the aspirations of children and young people
• Perception and identity – raising and changing profile of coastal areas being a good place to live and work.
• Visitor economy & visitor experience e.g. short break themed holidays attracting wider range of visitors, ‘a Taste of North Somerset’ local food promotion
• Visitor attractions that are open all year round – thus providing permanent employment rather than seasonal

Have you developed expertise in addressing specific coastal resort problems?

• Sea front flood defence and enhancement works
• Work of drug action teams
• Partnership working to tackle issues including housing, anti-social behaviour, Tourism.

Can you provide details of regeneration successes and good practice in your area?

• Attracting funding from CABE Sea Change fund – successful bid for Weston-super-Mare
• Regional Development Agency funding for Civic Pride, public realm improvements in Weston super Mare.
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• Knightstone Island, Weston-super-Mare
• Port Marine, Portishead
• Portishead public art programme (www.publicartportishead.co.uk)
• Clevedon Pier (Grade I listed)
• Sea front enhancement programme, Weston-super-Mare including rebuilding of pavilion (in private ownership) of Grand Pier (Grade II listed), following fire in 2008.
• T4 On The Beach event now in 4th year at Weston-super-Mare – this Channel 4 event has increased the profile of area and attracted in young people from across UK. Council has worked very hard to hold onto event, against stiff competition from other resorts.
• South Ward Neighbourhood Management Programme

Can you provide details of enterprising coastal businesses in your area?

• Cove Restaurant in Weston has secured a place in the Which Good Food Guide and has been awarded an AA Rosette only 18 months after opening, and achieved good coverage in national newspapers. www.the-cove.co.uk
• Clevedon Pier Trust http://www.clevedonpier.com/history2.htm
• Portishead Pool Community Trust http://www.portisheadopenairpool.org.uk/
  

Contact: Marian Barber, Head of Economy and Regeneration. Tel - 01934 42 6670  marian.barber@n-somerset.gov.uk