Coastal Communities Housing Intervention (Thanet, Kent)

Hastings Borough Council (HBC), Thanet District Council (TDC) and Tendring District Council (TeDC) have taken on a leadership role within the SELEP Coastal Communities Group to pilot new approaches to regeneration and economic development. This Coastal Communities project has four components, which will be implemented in each of the three geographies:

A. Strategic Housing Interventions – these being major housing schemes (rehabilitation or new build) – capable of securing major change over time in the priority areas;

B. Empty Property Loans – designed to bring smaller single empty properties back into occupation. Both landlords and First Time Buyers are/will be eligible for loans;

C. Home Improvement Loans – focused on helping low income and elderly owner occupiers (and possibly First Time Buyers) make essential repairs and improvement to their homes; and

D. Programme Management and Dissemination of Good Practice – resource to manage the cross-authority programme and support dissemination of good practice across the SELEP Coastal Communities.

Changing perceptions of coastal communities

The three authorities are focusing on the strategic role that housing interventions have to play in changing the perceptions of the SELEP Coastal Communities particularly in reversing decades of selective migration that have led to a loss of skilled people and the inward migration of households with fewer skills and much lower prospects of securing well paid, secure employment. As result there has been a loss of competitiveness in these areas as business locations.

Challenging deprivation

The three lead authorities are implementing intervention strategies to address areas of intense deprivation associated with particular neighbourhoods dominated by poor quality private rented housing, high levels of benefit dependency, and social problems.

Priority for investment

SELEP has identified the Coastal Communities of the LEP area as the worst performing parts of the SELEP area in economic terms. Poor economic performance is associated with high levels of disadvantage, which in turn makes it harder to attract the business investment that would lead to catch-up economic growth. The SELEP Growth Deal and Strategic Economic Plan identifies SELEP’s Coastal Communities as priority areas for investment. Each of the three lead authorities has developed and started to implement intervention strategies to address areas of intense deprivation associated with particular neighbourhoods dominated by poor quality private rented housing, high levels of benefit dependency and social problems.

Thanet strategic housing intervention

Margate has suffered along with other coastal towns from reduced tourism. The collapse of the domestic tourist trade was followed by the wholesale conversion of many properties into privately rented flats and houses in multiple occupation.  Over time whole neighbourhoods, such as Cliftonville West and Margate Central, have become dominated by private renting, with a very large proportion of residents in receipt of some form of benefit. The project will seek to convert empty or problem properties to family accommodation, creating 12 additional homes.

£579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock

In total the SELEP Growth Deal with Government has brought £579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock. Over the lifetime of the Growth Deal (2015-2021) we aim to deliver 78,000 jobs and 29,000 homes across the SELEP area, with the Deal set to attract a further £960m of investment into the South East over the six year period.

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