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Do we need a ‘Coastal Economies Minister’?

  • by JW

Coastal communities have been some of the hardest hit in this crisis.

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The Sidmouth economy relies a lot on the hospitality and care industries – neither of which pay very well:

Low wage seaside – Vision Group for Sidmouth

And so there are not going to be many attractive jobs:

Young people ‘struggle to envisage a future living by the sea’ – Vision Group for Sidmouth

A ‘solution’ might be ‘more interesting’ work:

The Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan – supporting an entrepreneurial culture – Vision Group for Sidmouth

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The Rural Services Network looks at one idea to help seaside resorts post-Covid:

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GROWING CALLS FOR ‘COASTAL ECONOMIES MINISTER’

Outlets including Business Live, the Daily Echo and the Blackpool Gazette have reported on ‘growing calls’ for the Government to appoint a minister to focus on supporting coastal regions up and down the country

The calls for a ‘coastal economies minister’ have been made by Maritime UK, the umbrella body for Britain’s £46billion maritime sector, which said rural areas are ‘ready and willing’ to take a leading role in the country’s post-COVID-19 recovery.

The minister would be responsible for improving the lives of the three million people living on Britain’s coast.

Coastal communities have been some of the hardest hit in this crisis, and the maritime sector is calling for accountability to ensure the ‘left behind’ are part of the Government’s levelling-up economic agenda.

Full articles:

Business Live – Growing calls for ‘coastal economies minister’ as maritime sector bids to lead UK recovery

Daily Echo – Maritime UK calls for ‘Coastal Powerhouse’ minister

Blackpool Gazette – Calls for coastal minister to help seaside resorts like Blackpool

Growing calls for ‘coastal economies minister’ – Rural Services Network

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photo: File:Sidmouth sea-front – geograph.org.uk – 60642.jpg – Wikimedia Commons