Southport and other seaside towns in the UK would benefit massively from the creation of a new specific Minister for coastal communities.
Southport MP Patrick Hurley spoke in favour of the idea in Parliament, where he said that issues such as the restoration of Southport Pier could benefit from having someone dedicated to looking at seaside issues.
Mr Hurley said that he will continue to “campaign on innovative ways to ensure that piers across the country are safeguarded for the next generation”.
Speaking in a debate on Coastal Communities, he said: “In many ways, Southport is a typical coastal community and, like many coastal towns, it has seen better days. It is coping with challenges that do not necessarily impact inland areas to the same extent. Part of that negative change is due to the nature of the town’s economy, but a big part of it is due to its geography: it is a seaside town.
“Austerity has manifested itself prominently in the closure of the town’s seaside pier. A botched repair job 25 years ago means that there are now structural problems estimated to cost over £10 million to fix. The pier is in local authority ownership, and thanks to the previous Government, the local authority has not got the money to bring about the necessary repairs. I have been campaigning on innovative ways to ensure that piers across the country are safeguarded for the next generation.
“I am pleased that the Government is willing to commit to support our coastal communities and I put on record my wish to see the creation of a specific Minister for coastal communities.
“The issues our areas share are so specific to the coast, common to each other and important to our residents that Government will gain greatly from a dedicated Minister ensuring that the views of our towns and areas are heard in this place.
“I am sure that if government steps up and meets some of the challenges that our towns face, the decade of national renewal that we know the country needs could be implemented.”
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