News Date: Tuesday 19th January 2010
New action plan to help West Sussex and Britain’s coastal towns
Conservative proposals to create a renaissance in seaside towns
Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, this week welcomed a new action plan from the Conservatives to reinvigorate Britain’s coastal towns – includingthose in West Sussex. The plan, entitled ‘No longer the end of the line’, outlines how Conservatives intend to end the sidelining of seaside towns under the current Government.
Most coastal towns across Britain have fewer people in jobs, higher levels of benefit claimants, more people in poor health and worse transport links than their inland counterparts. The policy proposals in the comprehensive blueprint include:
- Giving local councils and the police new powers to restrict the large number of late licenses and tackle the alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour that blights many coastal towns.
- Introducing new tax breaks for local firms - including local business rate discounts, lower corporation tax on small firms, and waiving National Insurance on new firms which create jobs.
- Cancelling Labour’s council tax revaluation which would slap higher council tax for having sea views.
- Creating a ‘Community Right to Buy’ to allow local groups to take over and save threatened community assets and buildings.
- Allowing privately owned, historic seaside attractions, such as piers, to apply for Lottery funding.
Tim said:
"Labour Ministers in Whitehall have ignored and marginalised our coastal towns like those in West Sussex. This must change. This action plan shows how Conservatives will reinvigorate our coastal towns, so that they are not just places for a great day out, but are also successful and attractive places to live and work. Conservatives will ensure that our coastal towns are no longer ‘the end of the line’."
Notes to Editors
CONSERVATIVE PLAN FOR SEASIDE TOWNS
The Conservative plan on coastal plans No longer the end of the line was published on 18 December 2009.
http://www.conservatives.com/~/media/Files/Downloadable%20Files/CoastalTowns.ashx?dl=true (PDF)
The policy proposals include:
Encouraging enterprise
- A new power for local authorities to levy business rate discounts and consult on allowing privately owned listed seaside-heritage attractions, such as piers, to apply for Lottery funding.
- Give councils the opportunity to come together and develop their own enterprise partnerships, replacing distant Regional Development Agencies.
- Cut the main rate of corporation tax from 28p to 25p and reverse the Government’s planned increase in the small companies’ rate from 20p to 22p
- New businesses will pay no national insurance on the first ten employees they hire during their first year.
- Introduce a simple and fair Business Increase Bonus so that councils which encourage enterprise are rewarded; and promote new house-building by matching local authorities’ council tax take for each new house built for six years – with special incentives for affordable housing.
Getting coastal towns working
- Introduce ‘the Work Programme’ ensuring that anyone who is out of work receives tailored help to get them into a job, and including a ‘Work for Yourself’ programme to help people start businesses by offering them loans and access to business mentors.
- 400,000 apprenticeship and training places across the country – over two years – and a £2,000 bonus for each apprenticeship at a small or medium-sized enterprise.
- A £100 million fund to support young people across the country who are not in education, employment or training.
- Shake up the Common Fisheries Policy to encourage sustainable practices and give local communities a greater say over the future of their fishing industry.
Fair funding for coastal towns
- Give an existing independent audit body a new duty to report to Parliament on the draft local government finance settlement each year, and ask this body to consider alternative measures, such as National Insurance Number registrations and GP enrolments, in assessing councils’ need.
- Cancel Labour’s plans for an expensive and intrusive council tax revaluation which would tax sea views.
Help for homeowners
- Abolish stamp duty for first time buyers on properties worth up to £250,000.
- Create local homes trusts, new bodies which can build homes solely for use by existing residents.
- Give social tenants with a good record of tenancy a 10 per cent equity share in their social rented property, which can be cashed in when they leave the social rented sector.
- Create a ‘Community Right to Buy’ for threatened community assets and a ‘Right to Bid’ to take over the management of publicly owned community assets.
- Ensure as many householders and property owners as possible who live near the coast have access to flood insurance.
ENDS
