Not all happy at the sea-side

The UK's coastal communities are among the country's worst off for earnings, employment, health and education, a report from the Social Market Foundation said. Report author, SMF chief economist Scott Corfe, said a lack of local job opportunities and poor transport links contribute to badly-performing economies. The report found the economic gap between coastal and non-coastal areas has widened from 23% to 26% from 1997 to 2015.

Average wages are £3,600 a year lower in these "pockets of deprivation".

 The report found that five of the 10 local authorities in the UK with the highest unemployment rate for the three months to March 2017 were coastal. These were Hartlepool, North Ayrshire, Torridge, Hastings, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

It also found those in employment in coastal areas were likely to be paid less. Of the 98 local authorities on the coast, 85% had pay levels below the UK's average in 2016.

In terms of health, 10 of the 20 local authorities in England and Wales with the highest proportion of people in poor health are coastal: Neath Port Talbot, Blackpool, Bridgend, Sunderland, Barrow-in-Furness, Carmarthenshire, East Lindsey, South Tyneside, County Durham and Hartlepool.

And the two local authorities in England and Wales with the smallest proportion of over-16s holding level four and above qualifications [certificates above A level] are Great Yarmouth in Norfolk and Castle Point in Essex.

The SMF warned that some areas - particularly in the South East - "are pockets of significant deprivation surrounded by affluence - meaning their problems are often overlooked by policymakers".