salthouse, caroline & hindle, rob - littoral 2010 - coastal communities in nw england

8/8/2019 Salthouse, Caroline & Hindle, Rob - LITTORAL 2010 - Coastal Communities in NW England

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A Qualitative & Quantitative

Assessment of Socio-economic

and Environmental Issues and

Opportunities for Coastal

Communities in North West

England

Caroline Salthouse

Rob Hindle

James Shorten

Littoral 2010, London


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National Context

No over-arching policy framework for UK coastal communities Responsibility for policy split across many government departments

BUT a lot of publicly-funded intervention & investment

2003 onwards many national studies, mostly on larger

coastal resorts

2005: Government Select Committee Inquiry into

Coastal Towns call for evidence:

Showed wide variation in size / characteristics

with very different socio-economic profiles

Highlighted the danger of trying to generalise

coastal towns and their problems


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Regional Research Elsewhere

Regional studies carried out in the South East and in

the East of England

Both analysed data at local authority district level

rather than individual communities

Both found the coastal areas performed less well

economically than the rest of the region particularly

re earnings and skills


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Summary of Findings from Elsewhere

National and other regions research indicates considerable

variation but important commonalities:

Significant social and economic challenges

Peripherality made worse by weak transport links

High levels of private rented housing and housing

in poor condition

Changing tourism trends

High seasonal unemployment

Higher numbers of elderly / young


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The North West Regions Coast

Very long coastline stretching from Scotland to Wales (1400km)

21 local authority districts, 22 planning authorities

Over 80% of coast Natural 2000 status

2 World Heritage Sites, 2 Areas of Outstanding

Natural Beauty, 1 area of Heritage Coast

4 of Englands major ports and several smaller ones

(10 in total)

3 major resort towns Blackpool, Morecambe,

Southport

Big towns (City of Liverpool) and small villages

(Ravenglass)


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The Need for New Research

Recognition by the North West Coastal Forum that while issues forlarger coastal resorts were being addressed by national research

the needs of smaller and non-resort coastal settlements which

make up the bulk of the coastal communities in North West

England were being overlooked

Recognition by the then Regional Planning Body

4NW of the need to build an evidence base for

future spatial planning and other policy for

coastal communities at both regional and local level


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Aims of the Research

Evidence base for future local and regional policy Establish a replicable baseline dataset giving a picture of a

representative sample of our coastal communities

Provide policy-makers with a better understanding

of their needs by demonstrating: The socio-economic and environmental value of those

communities to the region

The issues affecting them

The opportunities they offer the region Examples of value added through intervention


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Research Remit

Different from other national / regional research in that it:

Sought analysis of individual settlements rather than a coastal

zone or local authority/district area

Included assessment of social and

environmental as well as economic factors

Did not seek to make specific policy

recommendations but set out to draw attention to

issues offering insight to policy-makers at regional,

sub-regional and local level

Funded by 4NW and Defra


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Research Approach

Steering Group formed from stakeholders across the region andconsultants appointed (Rural Innovation, c4g and Smiths Gore)

47 of the regions coastal communities selected

on the basis of geographic spread, range of sizes

Small number of inland comparator settlementsincluded

Data gathered at smallest unit feasible usually

Lower Super Output Area

21 datasets used categorised into people, workand place


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Key Datasets Used

Demographics

Household composition Internal / Inward / Outward / Net migration

Vehicle ownership

Travel to work mode

Origin-Destination Travel to Work summary / out / in

Tenure

Population Estimates 2001-2007

Household Mean Gross Family Income

Index of Multiple Deprivation Score

Monthly Claimant counts and proportions

Benefit claimants 2007

Industry of employment Average House Prices 2007 and 2008

2008 Service Availability - % within 0-2km of outlet

% Services within x time travelled by public transport, walking or cycling


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Data Issues

Data geography posed a constant challenge

Problems isolating some communities from others as they run

together but have distinct characters e.g. Lytham and St Annes,

New Brighton worked with local authorities to resolve

Some communities so small the data is suppressede.g. Ravenglass population 334

Some communities so big they skewed a

regional picture e.g. Liverpool population 705336


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Developing a Typology

Data was analysed at 2 levels:

To see the overall picture of coast for the region

A more in-depth study of smaller settlements

Regional picture of limited use due to large variation

Following initial analysis a typology was developed

to describe communities with common characteristics

These types are based on data analysis and

were refined by consultation with stakeholders

at 3 sub-regional workshops


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Typology

The study classifies coastal communities into 4 types: Larger Urban Areas

Maritime Towns

Working Towns by the Sea

Settlements of Choice

Guidance on policy issues and management is

given for each type

Results are summarised for each local authority

area in a Local Authority District Summary


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Larger Urban Areas

Regional or sub-regional centres all in Merseyside

Often post-industrial towns, sharing negative socio-economic

characteristics with similar areas inland

BUT influenced by both coast and by industrial legacy

Maritime character is important but will not be the only future driver

Coastal location offers distinctiveness business opportunities,

connectivity, environmental and quality of life benefits

Principle issue is to ensure overall regeneration effort takes full

account of coastal assets and opportunities


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Maritime Towns

Coast influences very strongly

Defined by functional relationship with the sea so may be ports,

resorts or both

Coastal location attracts people and businesses to them still

Future policy should consider their coastal location as a core issue

and understand the challenges and opportunities it provides

These settlements are the best fit with national research to date

but this category is much broader as it includes ports.

The research has received criticism for this but it is based on data

analysis which has not yet been done elsewhere


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Working Towns by the Sea

No dominant economic link with the sea - if there ever was one it

is long gone

They are not resorts or retirement communities

They lack harbours, promenades, beaches

Share similar socio-economic characteristics with inland

settlements such as market towns

BUT proximity to the sea is still an important part of their character

Future policy should ensure the benefits of a coastal location is

central to their future


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Settlements of Choice

Popular, often affluent, communities usually in a high quality coastalenvironment nice place to live for retirees, commuters, etc.

Strong link to the sea, often developed around a harbour or haven;

their location is their greatest asset

Issues such as long-term vibrancy of population and business, thelow carbon economy (tend to have poor transport links and high

levels of car ownership)

Likely to slip below the regional policy radar as they are small and

not particularly challenged Such communities need gentle but positive management to ensure

they remain sustainable in the long-term


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Local Authority District Summary - Sefton

Description for each community outlining key issues and

opportunities

Typology with definition and policy considerations

Summary of factors to allow easy comparison


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Findings 1

Shared characteristics with other studies:

In comparison with the regional average:

Proportion of benefit claimants is higher

Higher incidence of lone parent households

Higher incidence of multi-occupancy

households

Demographic profile is older

Deprivation is higher Incomes are lower


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Findings 2

Key differences in communities up and down the North Wests

coast

Many of the communities are very different from the Seaside

Towns in national research to date.

North West coastal communities:

Are losing rather than gaining population

Have high levels of social rented housing stock

Overall employment is higher in public

administration than in the retail and hospitality(tourism) sectors


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Importance of Studied Coastal Communities to

the Regions Economy The 47 studied communities have around 2 million people nearly

1/3 of the regions population

The visitor economy is still key in 2007 Blackpool Pleasure

Beach had 5.5 million visitors; Morecambe and Southport 2.5

million each; Tourist Boards use coastal branding

They host 1 in 4 of the regions jobs

They include:

important regional and sub-regional centres

e.g. Liverpool, Blackpool, Barrow

10 ports providing substantial economic

connections


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Application ofResults

Disseminated via regional event and report sent to key regional and

local stakeholders and Government Departments

Results used to present evidence to the All Party Parliamentary

Group Inquiry into Rural Deprivation & Disadvantage

Typology used in draft integrated regional strategy

RS2010 (now defunct due to change in government)

- role in Future NW?

Local Authority District Summaries useful at local

level for Local Development Frameworks and Core

Strategies (e.g. Wirral and Fylde Borough Councils)

Influencing NW Coastal Forum work programme


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FurtherResearch

The research is designed to be replicable at an interval perhaps

5 or 10 years allowing assessment of policy interventions

A key gap identified was analysis of the implications of climate

change for coastal communities because:

Shoreline Management Plans were being revised

and data was not available at that time

Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping was due to

be released but was delayed

The North West Coastal Forum is keen to

commission work to fill this gap


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salthouse, caroline & hindle, rob - littoral 2010 - coastal communities in nw england

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