From Northumberland to North Yorkshire, we have some of the best stretches of coast in the UK, which provides golden opportunities for businesses in the leisure industry.

However, travel just a few miles from one costal area to a neighbouring one, and it becomes clear that there are massive differences, from one spot to another, in the attention given to maintaining the seaside and the confidence levels of businesses there.

I visited Tynemouth a few Sundays ago, and found myself enjoying a vibrant, seaside vibe. The sun was out, those brave enough were enjoying water sports, an excellent selection of bars and restaurants were catering for a captive market, and just a little way up the road a bustling market was at the beating heart of all this, pulling in punters, creating trade and a great atmosphere.

Later in the day I returned to Sunderland to take a walk along the Seaburn promenade. Again, the area was packed with people, drawn to the coastline by the first spots of sunshine, enjoying Sunderland's seaside, which rivals any other spot in the North East for its beauty.

However, the commercial property which runs parallel tells a different story to that of Tynemouth - many of the businesses that were located there have already shut up shop due to lack of support. Most of those that remain are clearly struggling.

Now this isn't due to a lack of punters, because the fact is the coastline was packed. What is lacking in Sunderland is confidence. There is no framework, no identification of common goals within the seaside business community. The people are missing out and businesses are suffering as a result, as the memory of a vibrant coastline at Sunderland becomes ever more distant.

Now it's easy to complain about Sunderland City Council and other public bodies for this, but I believe that it's by working together, as opposed to pointing the finger and sinking further into gloom, that businesses can redeem the coastline.

That's why my company, Wylam Leisure, bought the Queen Vic and the Pullman Lodge. We're confident about the Sunderland's seafront, so we've created confident businesses which operate at key points along the coastline. And the good news is: Business is booming.

The next step is to create a regular market which will operate at the Pullman Lodge, creating a real beating heart for the seafront, just like in Tynemouth.

A total of £1.2m will be spent on eight costal areas in the North East with this latest Government effort to boost employment, which is clearly a positive development. Let's hope that this, combined with a joined-up effort from the excellent business that operate in these areas, and perhaps a moment of clarity from South Tyneside Council (who are opposing the plan for a market on the basis of a ridiculous Medieval law), can make our deprived seaside areas great places to enjoy once again.