MPs Call For Action To Support Remote Coastal Communities

Remote coastal communities are being left behind and need urgent, targeted support, MPs warned in a Commons debate last week.

Leading the discussion, Perran Moon MP described how areas like Cornwall face unique pressures that are often underestimated in government policy. He pointed to high housing costs driven by second homes and holiday lets, limited public transport, seasonal strains on services and restricted opportunities for young people. “When homes become investments rather than homes for local people, communities lose their heart and young people lose their future,” he said.

Other MPs from across England backed these concerns. Jayne Kirkham MP urged that new funding formulas must properly account for rural sparsity and visitor numbers. Martin Wrigley MP underlined the importance of the Dawlish rail resilience programme for connectivity in Devon and Cornwall. Steve Darling MP spoke of limited aspirations among young people in coastal towns, while Kevin McKenna MP highlighted hidden deprivation in communities where people live year-round in holiday accommodation. Anna Gelderd MP pressed for stronger delivery of affordable housing.

Andrew George MP criticised tax loopholes that had allowed second-home owners to benefit from business rate relief and even pandemic support, arguing that funds should instead help families struggling to secure their first homes.

Luke Myer MP stressed that remote coastal areas are “not a problem to be resolved, but an opportunity” and called for investment to stop the loss of talent as young people move inland.

Responding, Communities Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh MP acknowledged that remote coastal communities face older populations, poorer connectivity and seasonal pressures on services. She confirmed that reforms to local government finance would redirect £2 billion to areas with the greatest need and that deprivation measures are under review to ensure coastal challenges are properly recognised.

Read the full debate transcript here