Eastbourne Devonshire Ward
client: Eastbourne Coucil & Eastbourne Homes, budget: £50 mio., with Plan Projects
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The Devonshire Ward is one of Eastbourne’s most deprived communities; the manifestations of this decline are multifarious, ranging from lack of investment, high crime levels and a range of social issues. Equally, these challenges are matched by some unique strengths, such as the fine architectural stock, a unique setting, a mixed community and some valuable cultural assets. Many coastal towns in the UK suffer from structural and economic decline. This decline is due to an irreversible change in the tourism industry. During the last decade, some coastal towns have successfully reversed their fortunes. Their renewed economic prospects are largely due to a sharp U-turn away from the stigmatised image of a resort town. A de-resortification has caused a shift in the public perception of towns like Brighton, Hastings and Margate. These towns have established their reputation as cultural centres, attract a new type of tourist and support an innovative economy based on small scale enterprises.
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Eastbourne Council and their delivery partner Eastbourne Homes have set aside £50 mio. to tackle the area’s deficiencies over the next decade. JKA and Plan Projects were commissioned to deliver the Devonshire Design Framework, a comprehensive proposal which aims to allocate the funds to a range of initiatives that will help to initially raise living standards and business prospects in the Ward and ultimately help to firmly put Eastbourne on the map of mid-sized towns that make an eager contribution to the cultural and economic landscape in the UK.
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