Centre for Coastal Communities

Identifying deep-rooted, structural challenges facing coastal communities and co-creating solutions to overcome them
Fishing nets with colour gradient

Centre for Coastal Communities

Identifying deep-rooted, structural challenges facing coastal communities and co-creating solutions to overcome them
Based in one of Britain's major coastal cities, the Centre for Coastal Communities brings together a critical mass of academic researchers from different disciplines to investigate the deep-rooted, structural challenges facing the UK's coastal communities and explore potential policy solutions.
The Centre's researchers have a distinguished track record in health, economic and social research about coastal communities and have developed strong collaborative links with the public, private and third sectors, allowing them to work directly with the communities affected by these challenges.
Historically, there has been little research into the challenges these communities face, but the tide is turning.
The Centre is uniquely placed to explore and co-develop potential policy interventions to solve the long-term structural issues blighting Britain’s coastal communities and has been involved in policy work, facilitating access to research and expertise as well as networks and opportunities.

Our breadth of expertise is unique. It ranges from predicting storm impacts, to promoting digital inclusion and addressing isolation in care homes. We offer access to research expertise, networks and opportunities. The University of Plymouth is uniquely placed to deliver change and develop thriving coastal communities.

Sheela AgarwalProfessor Sheela Agarwal
Co-Director of the Centre for Coastal Communities

By co-designing solutions to the complex problems of people living on the periphery – socio-economic disparities, poor health and educational outcomes and digital disadvantage – our research has influenced national level policy.

Sheena AsthanaProfessor Sheena Asthana
Co-Director of the Centre for Coastal Communities

Research projects

Aerial view of Hastings
Towards a new coastal classification
Carer touching the hand of a hospitalised elderly person in a bed
End-of-life care in the rural and coastal communities of the South West
Carer taking the blood pressure of an elderly patient in his home
Adult social care in rural and coastal areas
Two women sitting on a stony beach in dry robes talking over hot drinks with beach huts behind them
Coastal and rural mental health realist study
Parents and children in a community meeting
Models of integrated health and care services for young people in coastal regions
Smeaton's Tower on Plymouth Hoe, Plymouth UK
The NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Plymouth
Truro cathedral and city
The NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Cornwall

Recent achievements

Research team

Publications
Forthcoming publications
Asthana, S., Agarwal, S. and Gibson, A. (2026). The Coastal Divide - The Challenges Facing Britain’s Coastal Communities. Policy Press. 

Recent publications
Asthana, S., Green, K., Downey, J., Lee, M., Fox, R. (2025). Harnessing predictive prevention to shift elderly care from hospital to community in England. BMJ 2025;389:e082873. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-082873 
de Graaf, K., McKenzie, K., Asthana, S., Agarwal, S., Smith, R. (2025). On the Waterfront. A Key Cities report by the Key Cities Innovation Network, in association with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Key Cities. https://keycities.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Key-Cities-On-the-waterfront-March-2025.pdf 
Holden, P., & Harmer, N. (2024). Post-neoliberalism? The strange case of the new English Freeports. New Political Economy, 30(1), 19–33. 
Asthana S, Prime S. (2023). The role of digital transformation in addressing health inequalities in coastal communities: barriers and enablers. Front Health Serv. 2023 Aug 30;3:1225757. 
Asthana, S. and Gibson, A. (2022). Averting a public health crisis in England’s coastal communities: a call for public health research and policy. Journal of Public Health 44(3): 642–650 
Agarwal, S., Asthana, S., Brown, B., Daybell, J., Willis, K. (2022). Reimagining where we live:  cultural placemaking and the levelling up agenda. Written Evidence submitted to the Department for Culture Media and Sport Call for Evidence. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/106406/html/ 
Elston J, Gradinger F, Asthana S, Fox M, Dawson L, Butler D, Byng R. (2022). Impact of ‘Enhanced’ Intermediate Care Integrating Acute, Primary and Community Care and the Voluntary Sector in Torbay and South Devon, UK. International Journal of Integrated Care, 22(1): 14, 1–17. 
Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2021). Analysis of Coastal health outcomes. In Whitty, C and Loveless, B (eds). Chief Medical Officer Annual Report, 2021: Health in Coastal Communities, pp 189-208. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1004527/cmo-annual_report-2021-health-in-coastal-communities.pdf
Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2021). Technical Appendix (Appendix 3). In Whitty, C and Loveless, B (eds). Chief Medical Officer Annual Report, 2021: Health in Coastal Communities, pp 245-255.  
Gibson, A and Asthana, S. (2020). Evidence submitted to “Left behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds” Inquiry. London: UK Parliament Education Committee. https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/203/education-committee/publications/written-evidence/ 
Asthana S, Gradinger F, Elston J, Martin S, Byng R. (2020). Capturing the Role of Context in Complex System Change: An Application of the Canadian Context and Capabilities for Integrating Care (CCIC) Framework to an Integrated Care Organisation in the UK. International Journal of Integrated Care, 20(1): 4, 1–10. 
Asthana, S. Jones, J. Sheaff, R. (2019). Why does the NHS lag behind other health care systems with respect to eHealth? A review of macro, meso and micro factors. BMC Health Services Research 19, 984
 
 
 
 

Centre for Coastal Communities news

Aerial view of Plymouth Hoe
Plymouth awarded funding to develop climate adaptation plans

The University and Plymouth City Council are part of a consortium that has secured support from the Pathways2Resilience programme

27 January 2026
 
 
 
 
 
 

Related courses

 
 
 
 

Working in partnership

Partner case studies

Collaborating nationally – the Coastal ARC Group

A number of NIHR funded Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) have been working together to collaborate on co-developing and evaluating public health initiatives to improve health and wellbeing and address health inequalities within depressed coastal populations and areas. These represent peripheral areas in the North West, North East, East, South East and South West of England. All of the participating ARCs work well with their Local Authorities and other key partners. This grouping also provides opportunities to scale up research initiatives to support generalisability.
For more information about the Coastal ARC group, please contact Professor Mark Gabbay: M.B.Gabbay@liverpool.ac.uk

In collaboration with