Centre for Coastal Communities

Identifying deep-rooted, structural challenges facing coastal communities and co-creating solutions to overcome them
Fishing nets with colour gradient

Centre for Coastal Communities

Identifying deep-rooted, structural challenges facing coastal communities and co-creating solutions to overcome them
Based in one of Britain's major coastal cities, the Centre for Coastal Communities brings together a critical mass of academic researchers from different disciplines to investigate the deep-rooted, structural challenges facing the UK's coastal communities and explore potential policy solutions.
The Centre's researchers have a distinguished track record in health, economic and social research about coastal communities and have developed strong collaborative links with the public, private and third sectors, allowing them to work directly with the communities affected by these challenges.
Historically, there has been little research into the challenges these communities face, but the tide is turning.
The Centre is uniquely placed to explore and co-develop potential policy interventions to solve the long-term structural issues blighting Britainñޙs coastal communities and has been involved in policy work, facilitating access to research and expertise as well as networks and opportunities.

Our breadth of expertise is unique. It ranges from predicting storm impacts, to promoting digital inclusion and addressing isolation in care homes. We offer access to research expertise, networks and opportunities. The ñ is uniquely placed to deliver change and develop thriving coastal communities.

Sheela AgarwalProfessor Sheela Agarwal
Co-Director of the Centre for Coastal Communities

By co-designing solutions to the complex problems of people living on the periphery ñޓ socio-economic disparities, poor health and educational outcomes and digital disadvantage ñޓ our research has influenced national level policy.

Sheena AsthanaProfessor Sheena Asthana
Co-Director of the Centre for Coastal Communities

Research projects

Aerial view of Hastings
Towards a new coastal classification
Carer touching the hand of a hospitalised elderly person in a bed
End-of-life care in the rural and coastal communities of the South West
Carer taking the blood pressure of an elderly patient in his home
Adult social care in rural and coastal areas
Two women sitting on a stony beach in dry robes talking over hot drinks with beach huts behind them
Coastal and rural mental health realist study
Parents and children in a community meeting
Models of integrated health and care services for young people in coastal regions
Smeaton's Tower on ñ Hoe, ñ UK
The NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) ñ
Truro cathedral and city
The NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Cornwall

Recent achievements

  • ?Submitting evidence to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Call for Evidence ñޘThe Funding and Sustainability of Local Government Financeñޙ (2025)

  • ?Developed the new national Childrenñޙs Services formula, which acknowledges high needs for social care in deprived seaside resorts

  • ?Developing a new national coastal classification system in partnership with the ONS (due for completion in 2026)

  • ?Providing 'coastal identifiers' to analysts responsible for NHS funding formulae to ensure that funding allocations do not discriminate against coastal areas

Research team

Publications
Forthcoming publications
Asthana, S., Agarwal, S. and Gibson, A. (2026). The Coastal Divide - The Challenges Facing Britainñޙs Coastal Communities. Policy Press. 

Recent publications
Asthana, S., Green, K., Downey, J., Lee, M., Fox, R. (2025). Harnessing predictive prevention to shift elderly care from hospital to community in England. BMJ 2025;389:e082873.  
de Graaf, K., McKenzie, K., Asthana, S., Agarwal, S., Smith, R. (2025). On the Waterfront. A Key Cities report by the Key Cities Innovation Network, in association with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Key Cities.  
Holden, P., & Harmer, N. (2024). Post-neoliberalism? The strange case of the new English Freeports. New Political Economy, 30(1), 19ñޓ33. 
Asthana S, Prime S. (2023). The role of digital transformation in addressing health inequalities in coastal communities: barriers and enablers. Front Health Serv. 2023 Aug 30;3:1225757. 
Asthana, S. and Gibson, A. (2022). Averting a public health crisis in Englandñޙs coastal communities: a call for public health research and policy. Journal of Public Health 44(3): 642ñޓ650 
Agarwal, S., Asthana, S., Brown, B., Daybell, J., Willis, K. (2022). Reimagining where we live:  cultural placemaking and the levelling up agenda. Written Evidence submitted to the Department for Culture Media and Sport Call for Evidence.  
Elston J, Gradinger F, Asthana S, Fox M, Dawson L, Butler D, Byng R. (2022). Impact of ñޘEnhancedñޙ Intermediate Care Integrating Acute, Primary and Community Care and the Voluntary Sector in Torbay and South Devon, UK. International Journal of Integrated Care, 22(1): 14, 1ñޓ17. 
Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2021). Analysis of Coastal health outcomes. In Whitty, C and Loveless, B (eds). Chief Medical Officer Annual Report, 2021: Health in Coastal Communities, pp 189-208.
Gibson, A. and Asthana, S. (2021). Technical Appendix (Appendix 3). In Whitty, C and Loveless, B (eds). Chief Medical Officer Annual Report, 2021: Health in Coastal Communities, pp 245-255.  
Gibson, A and Asthana, S. (2020). Evidence submitted to ñޜLeft behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgroundsñޝ Inquiry. London: UK Parliament Education Committee.  
Asthana S, Gradinger F, Elston J, Martin S, Byng R. (2020). Capturing the Role of Context in Complex System Change: An Application of the Canadian Context and Capabilities for Integrating Care (CCIC) Framework to an Integrated Care Organisation in the UK. International Journal of Integrated Care, 20(1): 4, 1ñޓ10. 
Asthana, S. Jones, J. Sheaff, R. (2019). Why does the NHS lag behind other health care systems with respect to eHealth? A review of macro, meso and micro factors. BMC Health Services Research 19, 984
 
 
 
 

Centre for Coastal Communities news

Aerial view of ñ Sound and The Hoe
ñ offers new model of how coastal settings can drive place innovation and regeneration, report finds

The report is part of a new national compendium showcasing how cities and universities are rethinking innovation ecosystems for inclusive growth

29 April 2026
 
 
 
 
 
 

Related courses

 
 
 
 

Working in partnership

Partner case studies

Collaborating nationally ñޓ the Coastal ARC Group

A number of NIHR funded Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) have been working together to collaborate on co-developing and evaluating public health initiatives to improve health and wellbeing and address health inequalities within depressed coastal populations and areas. These represent peripheral areas in the North West, North East, East, South East and South West of England. All of the participating ARCs work well with their Local Authorities and other key partners. This grouping also provides opportunities to scale up research initiatives to support generalisability.
For more information about the Coastal ARC group, please contact Professor Mark Gabbay: M.B.Gabbay@liverpool.ac.uk

In collaboration with