Mike calls for Government jobs to be moved to Weston

12.00.00am GMT Tue 13th Mar 2007

Weston-super-Mare's Prospective Liberal Democrat MP Mike Bell has called for Government jobs to be relocated to the town in response to a key report on the future of coastal towns by a Parliamentary committee.

A report published by the Communities and Local Government Select Committee last week has found there to be a "national policy vacuum on coastal towns". The committee took evidence from a range of stakeholders including a number of local authorities and regeneration and tourism groups.

The particular challenges faced by Weston-super-Mare were highlighted in the report, following a meeting of the Select Committee last year when South West Regional Development Agency operations chief Ian Thompson spoke about the town in answering questions from MPs.

The Select Committee has acknowledged that the Government has no specific policy or initiatives for coastal towns and recommended that government undertake an "immediate study on coastal tourism" and investigate the disproportionately high rise in the number of people claiming sickness and disability benefits in coastal towns. The report also recommended that the Revenue Support Grant awarded to local authorities should "take into account levels of elderly and transient populations in the area and recognise the geographical variation in demands placed on services by these groups".

Local campaigner Mike Bell said: "The report is welcome and it is encouraging that the challenges faced by Weston-super-Mare are being considered at the highest levels in Parliament. However, what we need is real tangible action to turn around the economies of a number of resorts, not merely more studies and reports.

"While the Select Committee seems to understand the common problems facing coastal towns such as a higher proportion of older people coupled with high levels of migration by young people, poor quality housing and low wage seasonal employment, it has failed to take this opportunity to make substantial recommendations to address these problems.

"If the Government is serious about addressing the problems affecting coastal towns there are more practical steps they could take apart from setting up yet another talking shop. I am calling on the Government to move some of its departmental offices to seaside towns where their presence could turn around the local economies and bring the Government closer to the people.

"Weston-super-Mare is a growing town with a large, skilled population, with many employed in computer, aerospace and finance industries. The problem is that most of these people are forced to commute to Bristol and beyond to work. Why should Government agencies not move to towns like Weston - to capitalise on the skilled workforce, and help make a difference to the economy and environment?"

Mike has written to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer in support of the idea. A Government commissioned report published in 2004 identified more than 20,000 civil service jobs that could be relocated out of London and the South East.