Sea change ahead for seven resorts

Britain’s oldest surviving rollercoaster, a fine Victorian railway station and fishermen’s cellars from the 1800s are just some of the projects set to benefit from the latest round of Sea Change funding.

Seven coastal resorts across the country have received grants: Margate; St Ives; Tynemouth; Plymouth; Barrow-in-Furness; Fleetwood; and Roker.

The Sea Change programme, led by CABE and funded by DCMS, is designed to regenerate England’s seaside towns by investing in culture and heritage.

Margate has been awarded £3.7 million to help fund an ambitious project to rejuvenate the Dreamland Amusement Park. Plans include restoration of a collection of historic rides including the oldest surviving rollercoaster in the UK. The scenic railway and Dreamland Cinema – both listed – will also be restored, along with an old theatre organ.

In North Tyneside, a grant of £2 million will help transform the Grade II* listed Tynemouth station, one of Britain’s best examples of a Victorian railway station. The historic canopies will be restored, and more space created for activities.  

A £1 million grant for Roker, in Sunderland, will be spent on a marine walk which will include new seating, illuminated caves and granite steps linking the beach to the promenade. Artist-designed portable ‘pods’ and new public space are also part of the project.

CABE chief executive Richard Simmons, commenting on behalf of the Sea Change partnership, said that these seven projects demonstrate how culture can help recapture the flair that these places enjoyed in their heyday. “I especially like the plan to regenerate Dreamland in Margate, and showcase the country’s oldest rollercoaster and a listed scenic railway. It is ambitious projects like this that can rekindle the English love affair with the seaside.”

In St Ives, Porthmeor Studios will be redeveloped to provide facilities for artists and local fishermen with a grant of £900,000. This includes two refurbished fishermen’s cellars, and a gallery and artist studios facing the beach.

Fleetwood, in the North West, will receive funding of £835,000 to create a performance and recreational space on the seafront. The scheme will reflect the Viking, Roman and Neolithic history of the resort. A mythic trail along the coast will be developed and an observation centre for local bird and wildlife. Local artists will compete to design and manufacture artworks that will be displayed in three locations along the coast.

A new visitor centre – in an outbuilding of the refurbished Grade II listed Ship Inn - on Piel Island in Barrow-in-Furness will be created with a grant of £280,000. It will provide information about local heritage and maps for walkers.

A development grant of £100,000 has been awarded to Plymouth to explore proposals for relocating the Plymouth Arts Centre to the Hoe on the seafront. This would bring a highly prominent and historic site back into use. Two cinemas, education spaces and a café are planned for the centre.

Margaret Hodge, Culture and Tourism Minister, praised the huge variety and diversity of the projects. “What’s exciting is that many of these grants will enable our seaside towns to celebrate their fantastic heritage and history while at the same time making the services and cultural facilities they offer completely relevant for the future.”