4.13/14 Contested Land In Rural Areas Flashcards
What is the issue in Aberdeenshire?
- Donald trump wanted to build a large executive golf course in the county of Aberdeenshire. £300,000 for membership
- he said he wanted to do it here because there was lots of open space and unemployment
What was the environmentalists opinion of the golf course?
- it affects local ecosystems poorly and destroys local environments.
- sand dune ecology was at risk meaning plant succession and biodiversity was threatened losing the ecosystem buffer
- they did not approve of building on the site of special interest
What was the residents opinion on the golf course? Also think of other rural areas where the residents may have had a strong opinion about the regeneration efforts.
- don’t like the idea
- don’t feel jobs are provided for them
- feel pushed out and don’t like the compulsory purchase they are under
In other areas:
- overcrowding, air pollution, noise and congestion due to the increased air traffic in Cornwall is unpopular
What was the developers (trumps ) opinion of the golf course? Think of other times private businesses and corporations may have felt strongly about a rural regeneration scheme.
- wants to bring his business to the area and earn more money
Other areas:
- companies now in the Newquay aerohub were exuberant with the development of the enterprise zone as it meant they could complete their business with less tax e.g. airbus and Apple aviation
- investors in the Eden project were also very happy that the plans were a success with the local people
- the investors in the HEP dam in Kielder Forest were also very happy that the regeneration scheme was accepted warmly by the majority of the residents. Same applies to water sporting companies that now operate on the lake
What was the local governments opinion on the golf course? Think of other times the local government had an impact on a rural regeneration scheme.
- wary at first but they know it will ring money to the area so gave the developers permission for compulsory purchase of houses and land
Other areas:
- They approved of the HEP dam in Kielder Forest which was highly successful
- they approved of the designation of Newquay as an enterprise zone which developed into Newquay aerohub
What have the developers done to try and force the deal?
- they have tried to intimidate the local people by building large mounds of mud around residents houses to block their view of the sea
- they have built access roads to the construction site just outside peoples front doors preventing them from walking down to the beach and accessing natural, unowned land due to the “danger” of construction. People are very upset at they feel they are powerless
- destruction of sand dunes which are sites of special scientific interest (SSSI)
Trumps golf course was built in 2011/2012. Was it a success, and why?
- lost £3.5 million in first 2 years
- only provided 66 jobs in the first year instead of 800
- governemnt officials tried to argue that the promise of 1000+ jobs to come is a “powerful argument that outweighs the environmental concerns”
- 11 giant offshore wind turbines are to be built off the coast of trumps golf course decreasing the golf courses value and disrupting the beautiful views
Why is it hard to be successful in rural regeneration?
- Because local residents have a high attachment to the area as they tend to be older and retired spending more time in the area, meaning they don’t want the area to change, and they contest the regeneration at every stage.
- overwhelming opposition means that it is highly unlikely to be a success
Why is it easier for urban regeneration to be a success instead of rural regeneration?
- urban areas have a more transient population, who are quite young, meaning they tend to have spent less time in the area
- this means they are less likely to oppose the regeneration making it easier for developers to go ahead
- this means it is usually a success as the local population is less attached to the area and are willing for it to change
