Money to help moors and coast

MOOR TO SEA

It was also revealed last week that the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund, set up to help in generate jobs and improve businesses prospects in seaside towns, is now pumping another £257,000 into the North York Moors National Park as part of its two-year “moor to sea” programme.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has said that the fund has created more than 3,000 jobs nationally, 6,800 apprenticeship places and safeguarded 864 roles. However, more will need to be done if the coastal disparity is not to grow.

report’s author, Social Market Foundation chief economist Scott Corfe, said: “The economies of many coastal towns have performed poorly relative to the rest of the country, with a lack of well-paid job opportunities for people in these areas.

“Many coastal communities are poorly connected to major employment centres in the UK, which compounds the difficulties faced by residents in these areas.

“Not only do they lack local job opportunities, but travelling elsewhere for work is also relatively difficult.

“Despite the evident social and economic problems which these places face, there is currently no official definition of a coastal community’.

The Government needs to do more to track – and address – economic problems in our coastal towns.

“Particularly in the South East, some coastal communities are pockets of significant deprivation surrounded by affluence – meaning their problems are often overlooked by policymakers.”

• What do you think needs to be done to stop Scarborough falling further behind other communities in the UK?

Email your responses to newsdesk@jpress.co.uk