Coastal tourism and regeneration projects

Coastal towns across the UK face a distinct set of challenges in maintaining or rebuilding their tourism and visitor economy.  Common issues include physical isolation, declining town centres and the seasonality of the seaside economy.  Some coastal areas also contend with ageing and transient populations and relatively high levels of deprivation, while climate change and coastal erosion are increasingly limiting new development opportunities and threatening existing seafront facilities.

Our track record in coastal tourism and regeneration

We have worked on coastal tourism and regeneration projects across the UK, from Selsey, Hayling Island and South Shields through to Hartlepool, Whitby and the Vale of Glamorgan. This breadth of experience means we understand both the shared challenges facing coastal destinations and the local factors, from planning constraints to community priorities, that shape a successful project.

Coastal masterplanning, product development, market analysis and feasibility support

Well-judged tourism development can play a central role in creating a sustainable coastal economy. Relatively small-scale interventions have delivered a disproportionate impact in the destinations that have used them well; the East Beach Café in Littlehampton and Antony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’ sculptures in Crosby are two well-known examples, both of which shifted the tourism profile of their towns and attracted new visitors.

We support local authorities, landowners and developers at every stage of a coastal project: masterplanning, market and demand assessment, feasibility studies, business plan development and funding bids, including applications aligned with current government regeneration programmes such as Pride in Place.  Our work often involves close collaboration with landscape architects and architects to translate community consultation and market evidence into a deliverable masterplan.

Clients we’ve worked with

• City of Swansea Council: Carried out an assessment on identifying opportunities to increase usage and income generation at Ty Rhossili residential activity centre
• Hampshire County Council:  Prepared development plan for Lepe Country Park with a focus on enhancing the visitor experience and financial resilience. Our work helped to unlock £19m in funding across five country parks and Titchfield Haven NNR
• North Somerset District Council: Feasibility study to advise on the development and the property management strategy of the Council-owned seafront concessions to assist with the regeneration of the seaside resort of Weston-Super-Mare
• Tourism South East and Havant Borough Council: Working in a multi-disciplinary team (architects and landscape architects), we produced a destination masterplan for the Hayling Island seafront area to support the development of Hayling Island as a tourist destination
• South Tyneside Council: We were commissioned to carry out a commercial review of the leisure options for the Pier Parade area in South Shields
• Historic Environment Scotland: Caerlaverock Castle is located to the south of Dumfries, the New Castle and Old Castle are Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Properties in Care and the castle is a Category A listed building. Caerlaverock Castle is set within the Nith Estuary National Scenic Area, which is protected for its scenic qualities. Planning Solutions Consulting was been commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland to prepare a Support Strategy for Caerlaverock Castle that is intended to inform the organisations own Monument Investment Plan
• Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council: Completed a market demand assessment and feasibility study to identify market interest and the financial viability of developing a Coastal Activity Hub in Coatham in Redcar, as part of the wider Coatham Seafront Regeneration project
• Natural England: Commissioned to carry out a site review and detailed market assessment to help identify appropriate opportunities to enhance the visitor experience at the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve
• Eden Project: Working with the SMT at the Eden Project to produce the business plan for Eden Project Morecambe
• National Trust: A study on managing visitor pressures at Freshwater West Beach in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which was a location for filming the Shell House and Dobby’s grave for the Harry Potter movies
• RPS: We carried out a study to review the tourism and leisure markets to identify the options for tourism development within the working Port of Sheerness. The wider dockyard includes two Scheduled Ancient Monuments, a Grade I listed property, over 20 Grade II* listed properties and some 11 Grade II listed properties
• East Lothian Council: Prepared a visitor management plan to identify opportunities to improve access and invest in the visitor infrastructure across a range of ‘honeypot sites’ from beachside hotspots through to nature reserves and countryside sites, some of which are under mixed land-ownership and are protected by environmental designations (from the Firth of Forth Ramsar site through to Special Protection Areas and SSSIs).  We also produced a hybrid destination management plan for the council.
• Hartlepool Borough Council: Carried out a feasibility study to develop a watersports centre with residential accommodation as part of a wider coastal regeneration project

Find out more about our coastal tourism and regeneration projects.

What our clients say

“The Hartlepool STEM feasibility study has provided a robust foundation and direction of travel to develop the project. We were delighted with the hands-on approach and commitment of the team to deliver a quality feasibility study and business plan. We would have no hesitation in using the company to support future regeneration activities within the borough.” Andy Golightly, Hartlepool Borough Council

Talk to us about your project

Every coastal town or community has its own mix of opportunities and constraints, from planning and funding pressures through to climate risk and community priorities. If you’re at an early stage and just want to talk through an idea, or you already have a brief for a masterplan, feasibility study or funding bid, we’d be glad to hear from you.

Call Richard Linington on 07866 742628 or email richard@pslplan.co.uk to arrange an initial, no-obligation conversation about your project.