Holidaymaking on the edge: erosion, marginality and preservation at Skipsea, Yorkshire, UK

Abstract

The emergence of diffuse holidaymaking trends, and the move away from the established seaside resorts, has been a theme of the British seaside for around a century. However, the heritage of the resulting development has been rarely discussed. This paper examines the case of the so-called plotland holiday homes at Skipsea on the north-east coast of England and the struggle to relocate them in the face of coastal erosion and official hostility to their continued existence. It charts the emotive language used during the debates regarding the granting of planning permission and considers why the heritage of the site was overlooked during the process. It raises the possibility of institutionalized hostility within the planning profession towards ad hoc development, and a strong culture of conformity. Against such a background, it asks whether an appreciation of the ‘heritage of the recent past’ was likely to be given due consideration. Finally, it ponders the implications for preservation at marginal locations, both in a geographic and demographic sense, and whether important physical representations of the development of seaside holidaymaking are in danger of being lost.