The latest coastal community teams to be launched under the Coastal Communities Fund have been announced, with Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund both highlighting the opportunities for heritage that the fund offers.
DCLG writes:
Coastal Communities Minister Mark Francois today (17 July 2015) gave his support to over 100 new local teams that will help revive England’s seaside towns and decide where investment goes. The government has provided more than £1 million to fund 104 further Coastal Community Teams, on top of 12 existing pilots, to help bring jobs, growth and prosperity back to our beach towns and cities. The teams – bringing together local business, councils and people – will help coordinate regeneration projects in their area and get the chance to shape the next wave of the successful Coastal Communities Fund, announced in the Budget last week.
Speaking on a visit to Felixstowe in Suffolk on Friday, Coastal Communities Minister Mark Francois said: This one nation government is determined to devolve powers and funding so that no corner of the country is left behind. This includes our historic coastal towns and cities that have in some cases fallen into decline in the past but can now ensure that the economic recovery is coming back to them too. Coastal Community Teams will help decide where that investment goes because local people know best what is needed to grow their local economy. We are backing them with £1 million of direct support and the Budget also confirmed last week that at least £90 million more will be spent in the coming years through the Coastal Community Fund, which these teams will have access to.
By bringing together local businesses, local leaders and volunteers, Coastal Community Teams can help tap into their local heritage and make the most of our stunning seaside assets to make a success of the tourist trade. The teams can also help ensure local people have the skills and opportunities so that they benefit from the new jobs and investment too.
Along with each area being awarded £10,000 to kick-start work, the 116 Coastal Community Teams will also be able to bid for up to a £50,000 share of a new £3 million Coastal Revival Fund to support or restore local heritage and facilities which benefit the wider community and the surrounding economy, which is now open to applications.
Historic England Chief Executive Duncan Wilson said: Heritage is an integral part of the English seaside; piers, bandstands, theatres and promenades are the backdrop to many happy summer holidays, but these kind of historic buildings often need money to help with repairs. Coastal Community Teams have fantastic ideas on revitalising and reusing their most precious buildings and this Coastal Revival Fund offers an excellent opportunity to get those projects up and running.
Heritage Lottery Fund Chairman Sir Peter Luff said: Our coast has a distinctive heritage that, with the right investment, can drive regeneration, economic growth and job creation. The Coastal Revival Fund will help to unlock that potential and enable communities to take the first steps towards securing wider investment. The Heritage Lottery Fund is one source of that investment and we look forward to working with the Department for Communities and Local Government and local partners to achieve this vision.
Launched in 2012, the Coastal Communities Fund has already allocated nearly £119 million on 222 local infrastructure and economic projects across the UK. This is helping to create almost 13,700 jobs and provide more than 10,280 training places and apprenticeships. The Summer Budget last week announced that the Coastal Communities Fund would be extended to 2020 with at least £90 million of new funding.
