Memorandum by Suffolk Coastal District
Council (CT 51)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Within the Suffolk Coastal area there are three
coastal towns, geographically close but socially diverse. The
largest is Felixstowe, which is Britain's largest container port.
This is a strong identifying factor that sets it apart from other
coastal towns and has a huge influence on its infrastructure and
demographics. It is also a seaside resort and satellite town for
Ipswich.
Suffolk Coastal District Council, in conjunction
with the Haven Gateway Sub Regional Economic Partnership and informed
by the views of the community of Felixstowe and its hinterland,
is presently considering options for the future development of
Felixstowe, including options for improving the town's tourism
offering. Aldeburgh and Leiston are within five miles of each
other but hugely different. Aldeburgh scores exceptionally well
on all economic indicators; Leiston has the greatest deprivation
in the District and is home to the Sizewell Nuclear Power Station.
COMMENTS FOR
CONSIDERATION BY
THE INQUIRY
1. In common with other coastal towns, these
in Suffolk Coastal are "far-flung" from regional administrative
and commercial centres, literally at the end of the road and the
end of the railway line. As a result, the demographics are distinctive.
All of these towns attract older, retired and economically inactive
residents. Schools are in general under-subscribed whilst health
and social care facilities are well-used. House prices are high,
particularly for bungalows and cottages.
2. Aldeburgh's high proportion of second-homes
means that many of its residents are economically active, but
employed elsewhere. This affects both the social infrastructure
and market forces within the town. House prices in the Suffolk
Coastal area are higher than the national average, but even more
so in Aldeburgh. This seriously affects the ability of young people
to afford housing in the town, which in turn affects its long-term
sustainability.
3. Tourism is important to the economy of
both Aldeburgh and Felixstowe. Whilst Aldeburgh is thriving and
perceived as a desirable, upmarket destination, Felixstowe has
seen much decline, in common with other resorts, and related to
the reduced appeal of the traditional seaside holiday. It has
a shortage of good-quality accommodation (many of its hotels and
guest houses have been converted into flats or retirement homes)
and is predominantly a destination for day-trippers. The most
deprived wards and the highest crime statistics in the Suffolk
Coastal area can both be found in the resort area of Felixstowe.
Both Aldeburgh and Felixstowe experience seasonal unemployment
due to tourism-related seasonal work patterns.
4. Regeneration in Felixstowe has hitherto
been constrained by lack of available funding. The town's strong
port-related economy masks the decline in tourism and related
sectors. Felixstowe has also been ineligible for funding packages
targeted at both large urban areas and market towns and local
initiatives over the past 10 years have thus been unable to reverse
the situation. By contrast, both Aldeburgh and Leiston were eligible
for Single Regeneration Budget funding but this has now ended.
5. A study to look at how Felixstowe might
be regenerated has been commissioned, part-funded by EEDA and
by local interests, and the final report is awaited. It is clear
already that without financial support from the Regional Development
Agency, the local authorities and private sector will lack the
scale of resources necessary to make the step-change that is required.
6. Leiston has traditionally been dependent
on manufacturing rather than tourism and the presence of the Sizewell
Power Station has to some extent compensated for manufacturing
decline. There is a recognised need to encourage a more diverse
economy but efforts to do so are held back by the lack of discrete
regeneration provision for coastal towns.
7. Suffolk Coastal's seaside towns are under
threat from coastal erosion and flooding, in common with other
low-lying areas in East Anglia. It is anticipated that there will
be continuing local authority expenditure in this area and a continuing
need to review the level of threat posed by this problem.
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