Cllr Victoria Taylor: Shadow Cabinet Member for Regeneration

Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Member for Regeneration Victoria Taylor has welcomed the new Coastal Communities Fund announced by the Treasury last week. Not content with just warm words Victoria is actively checking out the possibilities for Worthing and has urged Worthing’s Tory administration to do likewise.

Coastal communities across the United Kingdom will receive a multi-million pound boost from the new fund which will be financed by the government allocating the funding equivalent of 50 per cent of the revenues from the Crown Estate’s marine activities.  This new fund is designed to support the economic development of coastal communities and will include support for charities, the environment, education and health.

 In April 2012, there will be £23.7 million available in the Coastal Communities Fund based on the £47.4 million revenue raised by the Crown Estates marine activities during 2010-11.  The fund will be available on a bid basis. Victoria is urging the Tories to ensure Worthing gets its fair share.

As owner of virtually all the seabed out to the 12 nautical mile limit, Crown Estates play a vital part in the cables and pipelines business, offshore aggregate dredging and the development of offshore renewable energy.

Victoria said:

“Worthing missed out to Bognor in becoming an enterprise zone. It’s about time Worthing stood up for itself and got the regeneration funding it sorely needs. I will be fighting for a share of this new fund and I urge my Tory colleagues to do the same.”