Groups of local people wanted for coastal improvements project

Friday, 15 July 2022 08:46

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Residents are being invited to form their own small groups to chat through how to make improvements to local coastal areas.

Groups are wanted to help with the Infrastructure for Port & Coastal Towns Project.

ImaginationLancaster, a research lab at Lancaster University, is inviting local people to form small groups of friends, family, neighbours or work colleagues to talk through what is important to them about the coastal area where they live.

Their findings will be used in a number of pilot projects to research and assess the feasibility of potential solutions to issues in local coastal communities.

Topics will be how you connect with your coastal area, making your area and infrastructure more inclusive, helping your people and communities grow stronger, and looking at transport in your coastal region.

"Despite the potential benefits of a coastal location, port and coastal towns and cities can be run-down and unattractive, and underperform in economic and social wellbeing terms," says the ImaginationLancaster website.

"Reasons include a poor built environment, derelict industrial and other legacy sites, the decline in traditional tourism and the poor connectivity to the waterfront, especially around ports.

"Rising sea levels and coastal erosion pose further major challenges. These issues are common to port and coastal towns and cities all around the UK, transcending simplistic north/south or east/west divisions, and demand innovation in rethinking and making our coastal communities more resilient.

"The infrastructure for Port And Coastal Towns and cities network – iPACT – will identify people-focused, infrastructure-based solutions to the complex problem of improving social well-being and prosperity in coastal communities through resilient and sustainable regeneration. A major emphasis will be on taking advantage of the coastal location."

Any group of up to four people who know each other reasonably well can take part.

Sessions will be held on July 19, 20, 22 and 23 starting at 9am, noon, 3pm and 6pm (times are flexible if required).

You can choose your own venue, or go to Stanley's or The Good Things Collective in the West End of Morecambe.

There will be a £5 Argos or Sainsbury's voucher for each participant.

To book email M.K.Harder@brighton.ac.uk

More details here.