LGA Coastal SIG - annual report to LGA Board 2025

• Lead Member: Cllr Ernest Gibson
• Lead Officer: Rebecca Lofts
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: Town Hall and Civic Offices, Westoe Road, South Shields, NE33 2RL
• Telephone: 07787 697832
• Website: LGA Coastal SIG

• Adur District Council
• Arun District Council
• Blackpool Council
• Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
• Boston Borough Council
• Brighton & Hove Council
• Canterbury City Council
• Chichester District Council
• Cornwall Council
• Cumberland Council
• Devon County Council
• Dorset Council
• Dover District Council
• Durham County Council
• Eastbourne Borough Council
• East Devon District Council
• East Lindsey District Council
• East Riding Of Yorkshire Council
• East Suffolk District Council
• Essex County Council
• Fareham Borough Council
• Fylde Borough Council
• Great Yarmouth Borough Council
• Isle of Wight Council
• Hastings Borough Council
• Havant Borough Council
• Hartlepool Borough Council
• Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk
• Lancaster City Council
• Lancashire County Council
• Lewes District Council
• Lincolnshire County Council
• Maldon District Council
• New Forest District Council
• Norfolk County Council
• North Devon Council
• North Norfolk District Council
• North Yorkshire Council
• Northumberland County Council
• Portsmouth City Council
• Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
• Rother District Council
• Somerset Council
• South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council (Lead Authority)
• Southend-On-Sea City Council
• Suffolk County Council
• Sunderland City Council
• Teignbridge District Council
• Tendring District Council
• Thanet District Council
• Thurrock Council
• Torridge District Council
• Wealden District Council
• Westmorland and Furness Council
• West Sussex County Council
• Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
• Worthing Borough Council
• Wyre Borough Council

The LGA Coastal SIG exists to champion and represent the collective interests of coastal, estuarine, and maritime communities by increasing awareness and debate on environmental, economic and social issues at all levels in relation to the coast. It works in collaboration with other organisations with complementary aims to raise the profile of these communities direct to the government to ensure decisions support their unique needs to ensure that they become resilient and thriving.

The Coastal SIG delivers for its communities through the five strategic priorities of:

• 1. We are the trusted, go-to voice for the coast with a powerful political influence;
• 2. We champion sufficient and sustainable funding for our coast and communities;
• 3. We champion coastal resilience and adaptation in a changing climate;
• 4. We are a resilient hub for knowledge sharing and innovation;
• 5. We champion sustainable for the coastal communities we serve.

The delivery of these priorities carried out through the focused work-themes of: Coastal Communities, Coastal Adaptation, Beach and Water Safety, Regeneration and Maritime, Fishing and Marine Conservation, Coastal Water Quality and Historic Coastal Landfill. All are underpinned by our vision to ‘provide a collective voice for coastal Local Authorities to frame a pathway for sustainable, resilient and thriving coastal communities’ and our overarching mission for the SIG to champion the collective interests of coastal, estuarine and maritime communities by increasing awareness and debate on environmental, economic and social issues at all levels in relation to the coast.

The LGA Coastal SIG delivers for coastal communities through themes that focus on a vision and mission statement chosen by SIG Members and illustrated in the Aims; we also have strategic objectives - all of which align in some way to those of the LGA. The Coastal SIG often seeks to engage the LGA and works collaboratively supporting its work within this niche, sharing its expertise to support wider LGA work.

Four goals of the LGA:

• To champion and represent local government: As co-secretariat to the APPG and a founding member of the OneCoast Coalition we constantly strive to have a strong voice for coastal local authorities and champion the work that they do. Our membership is frequently engaged and are provided with many opportunities to steer the work of the SIG including our monthly newsletters and Value of the SIG document (to be updated shortly)
• To continually improve local government: LGA Coastal SIG workplan, Lunch and Learn sessions and content for our meetings is co-developed with the membership and with external partners to ensure that delivery plans, particularly those relating to the themed working groups are collaborative and meaningful. We annually survey our membership to ensure we are championing and reframing our priorities and work in line with their community needs.
• To inspire and promote innovation in local government: The LGA Coastal SIG is viewed, and used, as a vehicle for sharing of best practice on many aspects of the work of local coastal authorities by both its members and external partners. We champion for collaboration and sharing as it will only strengthen to lead to change for our coastal communities. We are consistently looking for new ways to engage with our Members and ensure we are responding to innovation needs within local government. Two of our quarterly meetings this year will be hybrid to allow for more collaboration and involvement.
• To maintain a strong and sustainable Local Government Association: Our recently established Funding Panel and Associate Membership Scheme will both be working on ensuring the SIG can become financially resilient. Our finance, subscriptions and funding options are reviewed by members regularly to ensure all decisions are made with the support of our membership.. Many local authorities are experiencing difficulties with their financial situations, and we want to ensure they can continue to contribute to the SIG so our funding panel will help ensure membership remains sustainable for our members.

Progress against our Key asks to Government, Strategic Priorities, vision and mission in 2024/25 we delivered:

• Active work theme Working Groups (Adaptation, Coastal Water Quality, Beach and Water Safety and Coastal Landfill) that have delivered additional benefits including a Coastal and Estuarine Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Survey (report to follow in early Summer), a presentation on findings of the survey at the National Water Safety Conference, Coastal Water Quality Summit taking place 19 June 2025 with key speakers. We also have representation on the Steering Group for national Coastal Landfill developments. An APPG session on health in coastal communities has been held and we are engaging with the Coast-R Network.
• Sessions held on Devolution following early communication with our Membership and a letter written to Minister Angela Rayner on the implications for coastal communities.
• Lunch and Learn session on Marine Planning to ensure members are informed and engaged with Marine Plan changes.
• Supported over 20 projects/programmes of work with external partners as key members of Steering Groups including NESO, Coast-R Network and on the Central Design Group for ESO-National Grid as the community representative. Our Member Champions and Officer Leads represent the SIG on national groups such as National Bathing Water Group and National Water Safety Forum.
• Our LGA Coastal SIG account on LinkedIn has almost 100 connections after its creation mid 2024.
• Co-Secretariat of the APPG for Coastal Communities and close work with MPs to deliver our aims. Our most recent sessions included one on health in coastal communities and a joint briefing with the Oceans APPG on Marine and Coastal Careers. ~50 MPs are Members of this group now.
• Fed into key reports being developed such as the Policy Connect Bricks and Water Inquiry, Breaking Barriers Innovation Coastal Navigators Network report through OneCoast coalition, and the Postcards on the Edge report relaunch with CIWEM.
• SIG exhibition stalls at Coastal Practitioners Conference and Flood and Coast Conference 2025.
• Terms of Reference review, monthly newsletters to update on progress and moving our Subscriptions Payments to April to align with the financial year after consultation with Members.

Ambitions and key asks to Government for the LGA Board to be aware of:

• Continued campaign for a dedicated Coastal Minister.
• Improved long-term resource and financial support for coastal adaptation and beach and water safety.
• Call for Local Authorities to be funded and resourced properly on Coastal Water Quality monitoring and regulation.
• Ensure LGA are engaged with the APPG on Coastal Communities.
• Build relationship between our Chair and LGA Leadership.
• Build relationships between our Member Champions and relevant LGA Boards/Champions.
• Build our understanding of LGA work and better understand where/how we add value.
• Promote the Motion for the Ocean to all local authorities to embed a source-to-sea approach to support climate resilience, coastal communities and their economies.
• Produce a training package for Elected Members on the areas covered by the Coastal SIG to be delivered in collaboration with our partners.

General:

• Updated Terms of Reference
• Monthly Newsletters
• Updated Subscription terms