Coastal Areas: Economic Growth

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy written question – answered at on 8 December 2016.

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Photo of Peter Aldous Peter Aldous Conservative, Waveney

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the recommendations of the New Economics Foundation's Blue New Deal Action Plan, published in November 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Margot James Margot James Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)

We welcome the Blue New Deal Action Plan from the New Economics Foundation as a useful contribution to the debate on coastal regeneration. The Government is actively supporting and encouraging coastal areas to diversify and transform their economies.

The Blue New Deal Action Plan outlines the importance of community involvement in coastal areas. In 2015 we provided £1.18 million to establish 118 Coastal Community Teams around the English coast to empower local communities to take control of their own areas’ regeneration and we will shortly be announcing more than 20 new Teams. The Teams ensure local partners (including the Council, community groups and businesses) work together under a local and nationally recognised structure, and agree their strategic direction and key economic priorities. All 118 Coastal Community Teams have submitted publically available Economic Plans detailing how they plan to drive forward future growth, jobs and prosperity. This placed based approach allows for public bodies to work directly with local communities to help resolve specific issues and barriers.

The Government is also supporting coastal areas to create jobs and investment. By 2017 the Coastal Communities Fund will have invested over £120 million in projects that are helping to create or safeguard over 18,000 jobs, provide more than 12,000 training places and apprenticeships, and attract over £200 million of public/ private sector co-finance. A further £90m is available between 2017 & 2021 and is the first time Coastal Community Teams in England are able to bid to the Coastal Communities Fund ensuring that, wherever possible, projects have the support of the local community and meet wider economic objectives.

The Blue New Deal Action Plan suggests a national coastal brand for tourism. The Government continues to strongly encourage use of the Great British Coast logo which can be used by Coastal Community Teams to include all coastal initiatives including tourism. A number of Teams have been tailoring the logo to identify their local area within the overall coastal brand. The Blue New Deal Action Plan specifically identifies the need for an industrial strategy for the coast. This is an area we would be happy to discuss further with the New Economics Foundation.

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