The House of Lords has announced a Select Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities.

 

The committee states that since the growth of cheaper foreign holidays, many seaside towns, which grew as holiday destinations in the 19th and 20th centuries, have fallen into disrepair with poor housing and transient populations. It outlined a broad inquiry into the challenges facing coastal communities, such as poor transport and digital connectivity, and suggested initiatives be brought forward that would promote or aid coastal areas traditional industries, specifically tourism.

“The Campaign will be submitting to the inquiry to argue that by far the most effective policy for regenerating the UK’s coastal communities would be to reduce VAT on tourism,” said a spokesperson from the Cut Tourism VAT campaign. “Tourism is the largest employer on the coast, and the only sector with the capacity to provide the jobs needed in these communities. Previous initiatives to benefit the coast have been too small and not coordinated enough to truly make a difference to these communities.”