Description

Remote UK coastal communities face unique, often hidden, challenges. Despite scenic beauty, these areas suffer from economic neglect, public service withdrawal, and high income deprivation. Key issues include geographical isolation, strain from seasonal tourism, a housing crisis from second homes, limited youth opportunities, and an aging population. The discussion calls for a dedicated coastal strategy, fairer funding, and devolution to unlock their full potential and address these underestimated needs.

Key Takeaways:

• "Pretty Poverty": Scenic coastal areas mask significant economic neglect, high deprivation, and public service withdrawal.
• Housing Crisis: Second homes and short-term lets displace locals, reduce housing supply, and inflate prices.
• Seasonal Strain: Tourism influxes overwhelm public services (e.g., waste, emergency) and are often not accounted for in funding.
• Youth & Elderly: Limited opportunities lead to youth out-migration ("half-compass effect"), while an aging population strains health and care services.
• Funding & Strategy: Current models fail to capture coastal needs; calls for a dedicated strategy, fairer funding, and local devolution are crucial.

Important Definitions and Concepts:

• Pretty Poverty: Deprivation in coastal areas often hidden by scenic beauty, leading to underestimation of needs.
• Half-Compass Effect: Limited opportunities for young people in coastal areas due to geography and poor transport, causing out-migration.
• Social Erosion: Decline of essential local services (e.g., shops, transport) in remote communities.

Discussion: How can "pretty poverty" and the "half-compass effect" be tackled to unlock the economic potential of remote coastal communities?

Source: Remote Coastal Communities
Volume 772: debated on Monday 8 September 2025

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.