Sea Change? Examining the Regeneration Strategies of England’s Coastal Resorts

‘The English seaside is set for a renaissance.’ Hazel Blears, Communities Secretary

Fifty four delegates enjoyed the fantastic venue of the Electric Picture Palace, fish and chips and a tour of Southwold as well as a day of expert speakers, discussing the way in which heritage can successfully contribute to economic regeneration and tourism.

The regeneration of our historic seaside resorts is currently a very topical issue- what with the prime minister’s holiday visit to Southwold and CABE’s recent announcement of the first tranche of the new ‘Sea Change’ funding programme. ‘Sea Change’ aims to “use culture to make a difference” (Sea Change website)

Speakers showed exemplars of interest to the Eastern Region, picked to provoke and encourage debate about what ‘culture led regeneration’ might mean for our seaside resorts.

There were networking opportunities throughout the day and a chance to hear John Bennett, Architect and Manager Southwold Electric Palace Cinema tell the story of the creation of the Electric Picture Palace.

Further Resources:

Click on the following to download the speakers' presentations

• Cathy Page, Sea Change Programme Manager, CABE
• Graham Long, Head of Culture Tourism and Sport, EEDA
• Anita Thornberry, Head of Enterprise, Tourism and Regeneration, Southend District Council
• Derek Harding, Programme Director, Margate Renewal Partnership.
• Stuart Barrow, Public Affairs Manager, Visit Britain