Coastal change: the burdens of community representation and some thoughts on a solution

My paper drew on interviews with community representatives active during the setting of the second generation of SMPs in 2011-12 - whilst not recent they were conducted at a time when appetite for such community action was high, resulting in an intensity of action and experience that not since been available. projections of the loss of homes in the future suggests that these interviews could be relevant, given the pivotal role ascribed to local involvement in decisions. Broadly, my interviews suggest that representatives tend to work alone and often without the discipline of formal structures of accountability – largely by necessity, and for reasons that have their roots in local demography and the effects of social class. Involvement is made at considerable cost to some, with a commitment to a 'good' trumping the logic of self-interest. Overall, the results raise questions as to how a version of representation acceptable to authorities might be achieved, and I am interested in prompting a discussion as to the potential role of universities as hubs of both deliberation and related education in what is a highly technical, nuanced and contested field.