Coastal communities may not grab the headlines like cities, but with over 5 million residents they all deserve a voice and a future

Every time I get off the train at Poole after spending a week in Westminster; the smell of the sea is what reminds me of how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place. The world’s second largest harbour, some of the best blue flag beaches in the country and a surrounding coastline that is simply stunning.


But you can’t eat the scenery – and like other coastal communities, Poole has a number of key issues that need government attention, such as the lack of affordable housing.


Average gross median weekly full-time earnings in Poole are £764 – but monthly rent is around £1400. This means half of someone’s wages immediately goes out on their housing costs – not to mention council tax, energy bills and food.


Towns like Poole are desperate for good quality, affordable and secure council houses for local families – rather than the developer led luxury waterside apartments that have sprung up. These are either unsuitable for young families or out of the reach of many locals. Whilst supporting the Renters’ Rights Act, we also need to go further and look at rent controls to ensure fair play.


In 2021, the Chief Medical Officer reported on the health challenges that coastal communities face.


In it, he recognised that coastal communities have some of the worst health outcomes in England, with low life expectancy and high rates of many major diseases.


Whilst these communities are not all the same – many share similar characteristics, which should help some common policy responses. Fishing or port communities like mine have particular challenges – and a national strategy informed by these common experiences will help reduce health inequalities in these areas.


Life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and disability free life expectancy are all lower in coastal areas – and the gap between more affluent and poorer areas continues to widen.


This means we need a new approach to dealing with the gap in life expectancy between those with limited incomes and those with large amounts of wealth. Tackling the social determinants of ill health – such as housing, employment opportunities, access to healthcare and education – are therefore key to bringing about a healthier society.


Of course one of the key features that links all coastal communities is the water that surrounds us. Poole Harbour is both scientifically and environmentally important – and needs to be protected.


But most of Dorset’s rivers suffer from high levels of both nitrate and phosphate pollution. These nutrients come from a number of sources including both treated and untreated sewage, as well as agriculture from poorly managed soils, animals’ waste and fertiliser.


The Environment Agency monitors water quality at designated bathing sites from 15th May to the 30th September, but not all year round and only those areas that have officially been recognised as suitable for bathing. But in Poole there are many different types of water users – from paddle borders to windsurfers – who are excluded from these forms of oversight. That’s why we need to expand the definition of bathers, monitor all-year round and have a serious conversation about bringing the water industry back into public ownership.

Like many coastal communities, Poole relies on tourism. But with this influx of people comes extra demands in terms of car parking, public order and even litter collection. Both our police and fire services regularly witness a seasonal surge in demand because of the increased number of people and traffic in the area, but the funding formula doesn’t recognise this seasonality. A fair funding formula that properly reflects diverse demands, unique demographic complexities, and specific geographical challenges faced by the police and fire service is therefore long overdue.

And hospitality – which is a key driver of any coastal town’s economy is suffering too. In Poole, 486 hospitality businesses generate £239 million in annual revenue and employ 5738 local people. But the lowering of the National Insurance threshold and removal of business rate reliefs – alongside new revaluations on premises are forcing many of them to consider whether they can carry on at all.

Coastal communities may not grab the headlines like those cities with a proud industrial heritage – but there are over 5 million residents living in 169 coastal towns across England and Wales and they all deserve a voice and a future. And a Labour government that recognises the challenges they face and has the policies that will ensure a rising tide lifts all the boats, not just the super yachts.