The UK’s sense of belonging is bound up with the coast. When we call to mind white cliffs and salt marshes, seafront hotels and pier arcades, we are accessing a deep part of our cultural imagination. Coastal towns are woven into our national story.

Yet their present reality is more complex – and the gap between image and experience is widening. Across the country, coastal communities face overlapping structural challenges.

When Willmott Dixon’s development business, alongside joint venture partner Milligan, convened a regeneration roundtable in Dover, participants highlighted a legacy of disinvestment, constrained transport links and town centres shaped by highly seasonal economies.

Some people living in coastal areas can feel disconnected from the opportunities offered in the wider world, which can put a ceiling on their aspirations. Many areas on the coast have been categorised as “social mobility cold spots” – places from which it can be difficult to get ahead in life.