04.08.14
Coastal towns receive funding boost
Ten coastal towns have received a share of the government’s £8.5m Coastal Communities Fund, designed to stimulate the local economies and help with essential repairs in areas affected by the winter storms.
Some of the money will go towards helping restore coastal paths in Cornwall and Victorian
Arches in Portsmouth, while other projects will help create tourist attractions and provide new flood defences.
On top of the government’s contribution, it has been estimated that the fund will attract a further £6.2m from other private and public bodies.
Coastal communities minister Penny Mordaunt MP said: “Our Coastal Communities Fund is bringing about some really innovative projects around the country and schemes that will make a big difference to those towns affected by the winter storms.
“Seaside towns are a strong part of this country’s heritage and have huge potential to create new businesses that provide jobs.”
One project, Park View 4 U, near Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, aims to turn a derelict site into a new visitor attraction. Cath Powell, community development manager at Park View 4U, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded the Coastal Community Grant and we would like to thank the ministers for their belief in us.”
The 10 projects benefiting from the Fund are:
- Jubilee Pool Lido – Penzance, Cornwall - £1,950,000: Funds will repair and re-launch the Grade II Listed ‘Jubilee Pool’ (Lido) to create an all year round attraction.
- Waldringfield Flood Defence, Suffolk - £633,000: Funds will help pay for the construction of a system of flood defences for homes and businesses in the flood area on the River Deben Estuary.
- Maltings Building – Wells-next-the-Sea, near Cromer, Norfolk - £610,000: Wells Maltings Trust aims to transform a dilapidated 19th century Maltings building into an integrated arts, heritage and learning space with auditorium, café and tourist information point.
- South West Coastal Path – Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset - £1,114,000: This project will repair, improve and promote the South West Coastal Path. Funds will help with 32 urgent repair works to the path, information boards and signage, and marketing.
- RSPB Nature Reserve, Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire - £452,000: Funding will enhance the facilities at the reserve, improve the visitor experience and create year-round revenues to further develop wildlife conservation work. The project will extend and upgrade the coastal nature reserve’s facilities to attract a further 10,000 visitors per year.
- Yorkshire WildlifeTrust, Spurn Point - £498,000: The project includes the restoration of the iconic Matthew’s Lighthouse and nearby gun emplacement on the Point, the creation of a visitor centre with café, and the development of sustainable transport links to replace access lost in the December 2013 storm surge.
- Historic Fruit Market – Kingston upon Hull - £800,000: This project will continue regeneration of the historic ‘Fruit Market’ area of Hull and improvements to pathways, street furniture and other public realm works ahead of the city being UK City of Culture in 2017.
- Park View 4 U, near Lytham St Annes, Lancashire - £395,000: This will turn a derelict site into a new visitor attraction with a state of the art sand and water play area. The area will be landscaped in a seaside theme and will be used to deliver school education and activities about the natural surroundings of the coast, along with a café.
- Youth Hostels – Brighton, East Sussex, and Robin Hoods Bay, Yorkshire - £401,000: Funding will help establish a new hostel in Brighton and redevelop an existing youth hostel in on the North Yorkshire coast. These will provide new and improved holiday accommodation in two popular coastal towns.
(Image: c. Robin Jaffray)
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