3.3 Exmoor

Question 1

Why did Exmoor go into decline?

Answer 1

• Far from motorways, jobs and markets - issue as mainly primary/secondary sector
• Pop declined 6% since 2000
• 40% fewer economically active since 2000
• Avg. age 48 - 39% over 60
• Avg house price £320,000 - UK is 230
• Main employment in agriculture, fishing, services
• Lacks infrastructure and secondary schools - only 2 in area with low aspirations and brain drain
• Beaches steep and rocky so little trousim
• Avg earning 23k - avg 30k
• High dependency
• 19% are second homes - don’t contribute to areas, change demand and services, electricity and sewage for new houses, lose community, house price inflation

Question 2

Livestock market

Answer 2

• 194 farmers with good reputation started £1m project to redevelop market
• 13 open houses given planning permissions, 25 houses built, new cattle developments and business growth.
• Tackles declining agriculture, increasing costs to farmers, bring people into the area
• Weak as provided homes to non locals, not providing new better jobs just increasing agriculture, opportunity cost

Question 3

Interconnectiveness

Answer 3

Installed superfast broadband, connecting 90% of homes by 2018

• 700k project to build transmitters, provide support using airband and broadband
• Tackled communications issues in the area
• Weakness: state issued as firms cannot do so - connected by satellite
• Airband deploys emitters which give wifi but are very slow and so not good for firms in the area

Question 4

Housing

Answer 4

Planning permission for affordable housing to be built, regenerating run down homes, converting holiday let to homes

• Occupants need to have lived in the area for at least 10 years and needs a house as they cannot afford housing needs
• Has barely built any houses and is very constrictive so very few people have benefited

Question 5

Shearwell data

Answer 5

• 53 employees in livestock, largest private employer
• Ships worldwide
• Gets tax breaks
• Aims to provide skilled labour and employment in quaternary sector
• Problems - lack broadband, doesn’t attract graduates, only older people work there and so won’t change the area or bring in workers

Question 6

Singer instruments

Answer 6

• High tech value firms which designs robotics for cancer research
• £2m for local economy
• Employs 20 people and exports worldwide
• Aims to provide employment, high and skilled jobs
• Only employs 20, not very young and can only employ skilled workers instead of less educated rural workers and so may not be from the area

Question 7

Styles Farmhouse

Answer 7

• Ice cream company which hires 70 people from areas
• Good source in the economy
• 9 vans, 3 parlours and 1 trailer
• Is a massive employer however is seasonal employment and not highly profitable