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Lighthouses and lidos along the Great British Coast are among 15 projects benefitting from a share of 拢700,000 Communities Minister Mark Francois announced today (9 May 2016).

The projects 鈥� dotted across the country from Durham to Dorset 鈥� have been awarded up to 拢50,000 each to help restore local landmarks to their former glory.

Mr Francois hopes that the work will encourage a wave of enthusiasm for trips to our much-loved seaside areas 鈥� and help boost the 拢4 billion that tourism generates for coastal communities every year.

Coastal Communities Minister Mark Francois said:

Across our Great British Coast we鈥檝e got heritage hooks to be proud of, but some of these places need some tender, loving, care.

That鈥檚 why over the past year we鈥檝e invested 拢3.7 million to get them back into ship-shape and now 15 more brilliant British attractions will be buoyed up by work to restore them to their former glory.

This country has sight-seeing gems that are a match for anywhere in the world and I鈥檇 urge people to take a trip down to the seaside to discover them.

Spruced-up seaside sights

Projects receiving funding today include:

• The Churches Conservation Trust in Kent to provide access to the tower of St Peter鈥檚 Church Sandwich offering a birds-eye view over one of the most complete medieval townscapes in England
• Illfracombe Museum in Devon to protect and preserve its unique collection of Victorian curiosities right on the seafront
• Maryport Coastal Community Team in Cumbria to brighten up the local lighthouse, getting it back into working order and putting the spotlight on Maryport as a tourist destination
• Ryde town council on the Isle of Wight to revitalise the western gardens, creating an arts and performance area, around Ryde pier
• South Shields council to develop options to help link tourist trails on the South Shields peninsula from historic sites like the Arbeia Roman Fort to the forthcoming North East Centre for the Written Word - The Word
• Lancaster city council to give a new lease of life to a disused lido in Morecambe and turn into a welcome venue for festivals, arts and leisure

Download the (PDF, 143 KB, 2 pages).

This funding builds on the 77 projects awarded a share of 拢3 million through the Coastal Revival Fund in December 2015 which includes renovation work on Blackpool鈥檚 iconic Winter Gardens.

The renovations to these much-loved venues 鈥� and the jobs and opportunity they create 鈥� are part of the wider government work to rebalance the economy and help all areas of the country thrive.

Through the Coastal Communities Fund 拢120 million has been invested across the UK in the last 3 years alone, protecting or creating up to 18,000 jobs. Analysis has shown that that money is well spent with every 拢1 invested having the potential to create an up to 拢8 boost to our coastal economies.

The Great British Coast has enormous economic potential and local people really care about the future of their seaside areas. That鈥檚 why 118 Coastal Community Teams were created last year and given a share of 拢1.18 million to help drive forward coastal communities鈥� growth.

These teams have already submitted more than 100 radical plans which set out a blue-print for growth, jobs and prosperity.

Photo by on Flickr. Used under .