4.8 Local Government and Development

Question 1

What is a science park and name an example

Answer 1

Within an enterprise zone; they are business or industrial parks focussed on quaternary industry and usually involve a university partner

Eg Cambridge science park

Question 2

What is Cambridge science park like and name some companies based there

Answer 2

• set up by Trinity College in 1970
• 60% of companies based there originated there (high amounts of innovation)
• 30% are foreign companies
• nearly 200 businesses
• access to Cambridge graduates
• companies there include Microsoft, Huawei and AstraZeneca

Question 3

What attracts businesses to Cambridge science park

Answer 3

• access to top university graduate
• uses renewable energy meaning lower taxes and improves companies reputation for being green
• well connected y A10 / A14 and train station
• perks for workers eg pub, gym, pool etc

Question 4

How has Cambridge science park regenerated the local area

Answer 4

• highly skilled workers on high salaries have higher disposable income and spending so services improve
• furthers Cambridge’s global reputation as a global science and innovation hub and a university town

Question 5

What is an enterprise zone

Answer 5

An area set up to encourage investment and development
- 48 in the UK
- distributed by national government
- local government decide on incentives to the businesses such as tax relief, relaxed planning regulations and superfast broadband

Question 6

What are the types of local interest groups

Answer 6

• chambers of commerce
• preservation societies
• trade unions
• residents

Question 7

What is a chamber of commerce

Answer 7

A group of business owners that share an area of interest and work together to allow growth and create opportunities

Question 8

What do chambers of commerce want from regeneration

Answer 8

• infrastructure investment
• networking opportunities
• don’t prioritise environmental impacts of business

Question 9

What are preservation societies and give some examples

Answer 9

Groups that want to maintain the environmental wellbeing of a place

Eg Just Stop Oil, WWF, WEAct (Woking), Horsell Preservation Society

Question 10

What do preservation societies want from regeneration

Answer 10

• protect local environment and greenbelt land
• move to clean energy sources
• raise awareness of local environment issues
• don’t prioritise economic profit eg cost of renewables or oppose redevelopment

Question 11

What do residents want from regeneration

Answer 11

• low crime rates
• high quality but affordable housing
• some residents have different priorities especially when the area has large inequalities within it

Question 12

What are trade unions

Answer 12

A group of employees who join together to maintain and improve their condition of employment

Question 13

What do trade unions want from regeneration

Answer 13

• workers’ benefits eg higher wages
• better working conditions

Question 14

Why does conflict occur between local interest groups

Answer 14

There is tension between those who want to preserve an area and those who want change

Question 15

Who were the local interest groups in the London Olympics regeneration

Answer 15

• Clay’s Lane residents
• other residents
• local businesses

Question 16

What was Clay’s Lane like before the regeneration

Answer 16

• affordable accommodation
• mainly shared housing for 450 people
• very strong sense of community

Question 17

What happened to Clay’s Lane residents after the regeneration

Answer 17

• compulsory purchase order forced out all residents
• all were promised improved accommodation and immunities but none received it
• managed by Peabody who refused some people the right to be rehoused forcing them into unaffordable private housing

Question 18

How were other residents affected by the Olympic regeneration

Answer 18

• benefitted from improved sports facilities
• better transport links
• more recreational spaces (Olympic park)
• better services (Westfield)
• more jobs opportunities

Question 19

How were local businesses affected by Olympic regeneration

Answer 19

• many closed due to opening of Westfield as they were out competed by major TNC chains
• rental costs increased

Question 20

What is urban and rural retail-led regeneration

Answer 20

The development of retail centres
- creates jobs for people of all ages and backgrounds
- boosts local spending in cinemas, gyms, restaurants etc
- often build on brownfield sites eg Meadowhall, Sheffield

Question 21

What are the cons of retail led regeneration

Answer 21

• decentralisation saw a rise in e-commerce meaning the high street has suffered
• exogenous shocks like the pandemic can cause mass unemployment of retail workers and many businesses close if they can’t make the same profit online

Question 22

How was the London Olympic regeneration retail led

Answer 22

• Westfield shopping centre
• created 10,000 permanent jobs

Question 23

What is tourism led regeneration

Answer 23

Invesment goes into making the area a tourist attraction
- themed (Brontë country)
- custom build centres (Center Parcs)
- coastal resorts (Butlins)
- music festivals (Glastonbury)
- art galleries (Tate Modern)

Question 24

What are the cons of tourism led regeneration

Answer 24

• seasonal
• pandemics can disrupt it

Question 25

What is leisure and sport led regeneration

Answer 25

Regenerating the area to accommodate a global sporting event like the Olympics or wold cup
Attracts FDI
Has long term benefits for locals to use facilities

Question 26

What are the cons of leisure and sport led regeneration

Answer 26

• the long term impact of it is not guaranteed
• eg athletic participation in London didn’t increase after the Olympics and obesity in children continues to rise