James Alfred Steers (1899 – 1987) was a prominent coastal geomorphologist who was Professor of Geography at the University of Cambridge from 1949 to 1966.
In 1943 Steers was commissioned to prepare a report on the coastline of England and Wales by the newly formed Ministry of Town and Country Planning.
[1] Over a period of eighteen months he visited 2751 miles of coastline, working with Dr E. C. 'Christie' Willatts, Head of the Maps Office for that ministry.
Thanks to the "holidays-with-pay" schemes, this would included access to the coastline by many people previously unable to make such visits.
He predicted an increase of buildings offering expanded facilities to cope with the larger number of visitors.