A major three-year regeneration scheme, led by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), will see £45m spent on disadvantaged seaside resorts. CABE will identify projects including galleries or concert halls where investment in culture and heritage will improve quality of life and the local economy. Culture Secretary James Purnell said, “We know that public investment in cultural projects and public spaces can give a huge kick-start to local regeneration.” The Big Lottery Fund will be a major partner as CABE seeks extra funding for a mixture of major schemes and small projects. Richard Simmons, CABE chief executive, called the project “a chance for British seaside resorts to recapture the flair and importance they held in the Victorian age”.
