Business giants have been called upon to invest in our seafronts to save them from decades of decline.

With councils facing massive spending cuts, visionary ideas are desperately needed to prevent a deterioration of the south coast’s fortunes.

This time a year ago, the collapse of part of Brighton’s seafront led to months of disruption and the stability and future of the arches is in doubt.

Worthing’s Teville Gate development is still up in the air while Newhaven needs serious investment and its ferry service remains under threat.

Clogged up roads and railway lines also make life a misery for residents and businesses alike.

The man responsible for delivering more than £200million worth of investment to the region agrees that it is only through collaborations between neighbouring authorities and big businesses that our coastal communities can secure a viable future.

Ron Crank, chief executive of Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), is now in talks with companies about what they can do to invest. It is hoped businesses can came forward as Standard Life Investments is looking to do with the £450million plans for Brighton Centre, Churchill Square and Black Rock.

Mr Crank said: “Infrastructure shouldn’t be good, it needs to be excellent.

“We are looking at investment and other projects and are in talks with the private sector, with people like Southern Water.

“We need companies like Standard Life and Legal & General, companies that want to invest.”

Mr Crank backed The Argus’ campaign and pointed to the investment already made by the public-private partnership.

He said: “We have put our faith into Brighton with the i360 [£4m], advanced engineering centre [£7m], the digital catapult, Circus Street [£2.7m], Preston Barracks [£7.7m] and Valley Gardens [£8m] - there’s a lot going on.

“We’re working with consultants to look at infrastructure needs of the region. There’s a significant amount of work.”

Mr Crank is talking to local authorities, businesses and colleges and universities about the next round of investment which will be agreed by the next government. He added: “People with ideas should talk with their local authorities or area partners or just write to us.”

Political leaders backed public-private work and closer collaboration between neighbouring to boost regeneration of the Greater Brighton City Region – which includes Brighton and Hove, Shoreham, Worthing and Newhaven, as well as part of the South Downs National Park, Lewes and Mid Sussex.

To contact Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership visit coast2capital.org.uk

 

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

LIKE our readers The Argus cares about our unique environment, the combination of factors which make our communities the UK’s most attractive to live in.

But to preserve their special status this newspaper believes it is time for co-ordinated action, for people of vision to outline the medium term future of our city and towns and natural spaces.The seafronts give us our livelihoods and our wellbeing.

Yet it could be argued that pressures are rising, with investment needed to avoid decline in our infrastructure.

Piecemeal action will not be enough. A coherent programme is needed all along the Sussex coast, from Hastings in the east to Bognor in the west, to ensure we win support and funds for a vision that has our seafront evolving, embracing the new but preserving the heritage that gives us unique character.

This is not just a project for our politicians and leaders, but for all of us. We are all passionate about this wonderful place we live in.

We all have a voice and a role to play in protecting its future.

Today The Argus launches Seafront 2020, a manifesto we hope will serve as a rallying call to begin this work today.

At the very least we hope it will fire a starting gun for a comprehensive debate on the path ahead.

 

ANALYIS 

Ask anyone who lives on the south coast and they will tell you how it is one of the most wonderful places in the world.Our seaside resorts are some of the most iconic in the country, with their Victorian Piers, Regency architecture and the exotic Royal Pavilion of Brighton.

We get the most of hours of sunlight a year with Bognor and Eastbourne vying for the title. And the economies of our towns and cities are thriving, particularly in emerging sectors such as green technology, digital and creative industries, and regularly appear in the top end of financial indexes.

Our proximity to London and Gatwick, as well as the South Downs National Park, all add to the vibrant offer of the area.

There has also been plenty of Government investment too.

The Greater Brighton City Deal brought £170million to the city region last year, followed by the Growth Deal which awarded £202million to the Coast to Capital LEP area.

But while the investment is welcome, the picture is not all rosy.According to critics, there has been a lack of joined-up vision for the region, a painfully slow planning system and divisive local authorities.

Brighton and Hove has celebrated record low shop vacancies, fast-growing tourism and high start-up rates.

But the local authority has failed to deal with the city’s housing crisis, improve its road network or see through any major developments in recent memory.

While Worthing has become an overflow town for residents unable to afford expensive Brighton and Hove, the likes of the Guildbourne Centre shopping centre and Teville Gate site are still lying rather unloved.

Visitors to Shoreham may well enjoy the £10million Adur Ferry Bridge while plans for the £60million redevelopment Adur Civic Centre into housing, a hotel, digital skills hub and offices are moving closer.

But cyclists or walkers enjoying the coastline might be disappointed there is no scenic route between Shoreham and Hove – but rather the economically vital but far from picturesque Shoreham Port.

Transport links through Sussex are notorious, with the single lane coastal road sometimes quicker than the serially clogged-up A27.

To the east, the likes of Newhaven is being rejuvenated after years of chronic underinvestment, green tech companies being drawn to the town following news of the off-shore wind-farm.

But take the French-run ferry from the French-owned port past the closed off beach to Dieppe and the contrast with Newhaven could not be more apparent.

Further east and transport is the constant factor.

While Eastbourne and Hastings have similar heritage to Brighton, and housing is cheaper, the towns are unable to attract the same calibre of business and financial investment.

The A27 remains a headache, with a single accident have the potential blocking flow through the county for hours.The failure to create a viable vision could spell disaster for the region.