Researchers from the University of Plymouth have presented the findings of a major project highlighting some of the key challenges facing England’s coastal communities during an event at the House of Lords.
The University’s
Centre for Coastal Communities has been working for several years to create an evidence-based and policy-orientated classification of coastal towns and cities across the country.
That work has been driven by a growing recognition that these communities face unique challenges, in addition to a lack of understanding around why some successfully address those challenges while others do not.
The project team initially engaged with stakeholders, including local councils, the NHS and the Office of National Statistics (ONS), to identify the impact of factors such as second home ownership, education outcomes and public health.
They then analysed and classified the particular economic, social, cultural, historical, and geographic characteristics that define each coastal community.
It has resulted in the creation of a new coastal classification methodology, and the evidence driving it is featured on a new Coastal England Small Area (CESA) data portal.
Both were launched at the House of Lords event, which was attended by MPs and members of the House of Lords, researchers from Plymouth and other universities around the UK, and representatives of local authorities, voluntary and community sector organisations, and thinktanks.
They were addressed by members of the research team and various policymakers about the work that has taken place to this point, and the impact it could have on communities at both local and national levels.
Professor Sheena Asthana
