top of page

Devolution and coastal areas

  • Writer: Davitt Jones Bould
    Davitt Jones Bould
  • 2 hours ago
  • 1 min read

Coastal areas suffer disproportionate levels of economic deprivation – proposed devolutionary changes must not make their situation worse, writes Christopher Kerr, our Head of ESG.


In this article, Christopher Kerr argues that while devolving power to regional mayors could unlock growth, it may also deepen deprivation along the coast unless coastal voices are built into decision-making from the start. From infrastructure gaps and poor health outcomes to the risks posed by local government reorganisation, Chris sets out four practical policy shifts needed to ensure devolution works for, not against, the UK’s coastline.



Find out more about Chris here



Chris Kerr (Head of ESG)


Christopher heads up Davitt Jones Bould's Environmental, Social and Governance Group, and also the firm’s Coastal Regeneration SIG. He has a particular focus on biodiversity & natural capital, nature recovery, town and city regeneration projects, coastal regeneration work, charitable organisations and the public sector.



ABOUT DAVITT JONES BOULD

As the largest, most experienced law firm specialising in real estate in the UK, we have been trusted advisors to the real estate market for 25 years. We have over 75 lawyers, all of whom joined us from senior in-house or private practice roles, and bring an average of 25 years’ post qualification experience each. With their expertise and commercial experience, we advise a prestigious client base in the public and private sector on the full spectrum of real estate legal issues, including commercial property, planning, property litigation, construction, environment, real estate finance and other related areas. Operating in our specialist area uniquely positions us to help other professional firms, and through our Real Estate Support solution we support teams in the silver circle, UK Top 30, US Top 50, the Big Four and beyond.

Website Privacy Policy

© 2026 Davitt Jones Bould Limited (DJB)

bottom of page