The DCMS has announced the latest group coastal towns that will benefit from its Sea Change grant scheme.

Southport, Great Yarmouth, Bridlington and Hastings are to receive £12m between them in order to “boost regeneration through investment in culture and heritage”.

Barbara Follett, culture and tourism minister, said: “In these difficult economic times it is more important than ever before to make sure we continue to invest in the regeneration and renewal of our seaside resorts. The projects in these four towns will help to attract new visitors and business opportunities in the whole area as well as giving people pride in their community and protecting their heritage.

“With more people than ever before thinking about holidaying at home, the funding provided by the Sea Change programme will help to ensure that their experiences are memorable for the right reasons and inspire them to return and keep the great tradition of British seaside holidays alive.”

Southport will receive £4m in order to make improvements to its Grade II-listed Arts Centre, which will include a theatre, a museum and a music venue.

Bridlington will use its £3m funding package to redesign the promenade surround the Royal Hall and Spa Theatre complex, as well as enable Pembroke Gardens to be used as an outdoor performance space.

A Grade I-listed chapel in Great Yarmouth will be converted into a new arts centre, historic buildings in King Street will be repaired and work will allow St George’s Plain to be used as an outdoor public space, following a £3m grant.

Finally, Hastings will use its £2m to provide an artist-designed piazza, performance space and cultural community centre.

The programme is led by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and will give a total of £45m over three years to coastal resorts. Blackpool, Torbay and Dover were the first towns to receive large grants last year.

CABE chief executive Richard Simmons said: “There is clearly a huge appetite for areas to use culture and good design as a starting point for regeneration. Very strong applications were received from some of the country’s most deprived areas and this is exactly where we want the money to go.

“Every single one of these projects will be of enormous benefit to the resort – both through improving people’s quality of life and boosting the local economy.”