We need to reimagine the UK’s coastal communities into a coastal powerhouse

The British public vote for Brexit sent shockwaves around major cities throughout the globe. However, in many of our coastal communities in the UK, the result came as no surprise at all. Indeed, out of the top five areas to vote leave in the country, every single one was a coastal town or city. Compare this with the top 5 spots to vote remain in England, Scotland and Wales, where no coastal constituency features on the list.

For many of these coastal communities, people feel left out and left behind. Traditional industries have often departed and whilst some new sectors such as renewable energy have arrived many of the lost jobs and investment have not been replaced. A report commissioned by the BBC found the mean salary in Scarborough in 2016 was £19,925, nearly a third less than the national average, while data from the Office for National Statistics showed that in 2016 economic output per person was 26% lower in coastal communities than non-coastal communities.