22/12/09 - Conservatives Launch Coastal Town Action Plan

(Pictured with Conservative North East Martin Callanan MEP on Saltburn Pier) 

The Conservatives have launched their plans for the regeneration of coastal towns. The document, entitled "No longer the end of the line", outlines how seaside towns have been failed by Labour and reveals how the Conservatives intend to end this damaging sidelining.

Some of our coastal towns have experienced lower levels of employment, higher levels of benefit claimants, poorer health outcomes and worse transport links than comparable inland towns. The policy proposals in the comprehensive action plan include:

• Giving local councils and the police new powers to restrict the large number of late licenses and tackle the alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour that blights many coastal towns.
• Introducing new tax breaks for local firms - including local business rate discounts, lower corporation tax on small firms, and waiving National Insurance on new firms which create jobs.
• Cancelling Labour’s council tax revaluation which intends to charge residents higher council tax for having sea views.
• Creating a 'Community Right to Buy' to allow local groups to take over and save threatened community assets and buildings.
• Allowing privately owned, listed seaside heritage attractions, such as piers, to apply for Lottery funding.

Paul Bristow, Conservative Candidate for Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland stated:

"Our coastal towns are part of what makes Teesside special.  With support they can be made even better places to live, visit and do business.

"Both Saltburn and Redcar present a golden opportunity which has been ignored by Labour.  At a time when there's renewed interest in holidaying in the UK and people are looking at living in a way which offers them better work-life balance, coastal towns should be on the brink of a countrywide renaissance.

"These measures will help preserve what is special about Saltburn, and help Redcar regenerate as a destination for holiday makers.''