Bishop's Stortford and Boscombe

Question 1

Describe Bishop’s Strotford

Answer 1

Small Standalone town in East Hertfordshire. It has rural surrounding and acts a commuter town to large cities such as Cambridge and London due to great transport links such as the M11 and the train station (opened in the 1840s). It also has good international links due to the nearby Stansted Airport (opened in the 1940s).

Question 2

Describe Boscombe

Answer 2

Boscombe is a coastal town in Dorset that is part of an urban conglomeration of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.

Question 3

Economic characteristics of East Hertfordshire

Answer 3

1. Employment structure:
   - Primary = 0.71%
   - Secondary = 8.47%
   - Tertiary = 74.69% (Mostly retail)
   - Quaternary = 10.69%
   - Other = 5.44%
2. Unemployment rate = 3%
3. Percentage of population who are economically inactive = 36%
4. 84% of workers are employed rather than self-employed
   71% of workers work full-time rather than part-time
   96% of workers are in permanent employment rather than seasonal employment
5. 19% of workers are employed in higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations and 24% occupy lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations

Question 4

Economic characteristics of Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole

Answer 4

1. Employment structure:
   - Primary = 0.24%
   - Secondary = 8.01%
   - Tertiary = 80.04% (Mostly tourism with some retail)
   - Quaternary = 6.18%
   - Other = 5.52%
2. Unemployment rate = 4%
3. Percentage of population who are economically innactive = 52%
4. 82% of workers are employed rather than self employed
   69% of workers work full time rather than part time
   94% of workers are in permanent employment rather than seasonal employement
5. 12% of workers are employed in higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations and 18% occpy lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations

Question 5

Bishop’s Stotrford social characteristcs

Answer 5

1. Total Population:
   2011 = 37838
   2021 = 45109
2. Age structure
   Under 15 = 19.5% (2011) -> 18.4% (2021)
   15-64 = 67.2% (2011) -> 58.4% (2021)
   65 and over = 13.3% (2011) -> 23.1% (2021) - This indicates an ageing population
3. Ethnicity;
   White: 93.6% (2011) -> 88.7% (2021)
   Mixed: 2.1% (2011) -> 3.8% (2021)
   Asian: 2.9% (2011) -> 4.4% (2021)
   Black: 1.0% (2011) -> 2.0% (2021)
   Other: 0.4% (2011) -> 1.2% (2021)

Question 6

Boscombe social characteristics

Answer 6

1. Total Population:
   2011 = 20719
   2021 = 19891
   (Declining population)
2. Age structure
   Under 15 = 13.4% (2011) -> 15.5% (2021)
   15-64 = 73.6% (2011) -> 64.4% (2021)
   65 and over = 13.0% (2011) -> 20.1% (2021) - This indicates an ageing population
3. Ethnicity;
   White: 91.3% (2011) -> 88.8% (2021) - Percentage of “other white” was 18.6% in 2021 (almost 1 in 5)
   Mixed: 0.7% (2011) -> 1.1% (2021)
   Asian: 4.2% (2011) -> 3.5% (2021)
   Black: 1.4% (2011) -> 1.7% (2021)
   Other: 0.6% (2011) -> 1.8% (2021)

Question 7

History of Bishop’s Strotford

Answer 7

1. The growth of cereal crops in the rural surroundings allowed Bishop’s Stortford to develop into a maltings industry in the 17th century. The river Strort, a tributary of the river Lee, allowed malt to be transported to London where it was traded.
2. In the mid-17th century, due to the growing popularity of stagecoaches, Bishop’s Stortford became a mid-way stop for travellers journeying between London and the towns and cities of East Anglia. however, in the 1670s its economy suffered due to Hockerill bypass and Hockerill quickly became the stopping town for travellers
3. In the 18th century, a livestock market developed in Bishop’s Stortford. It still hosts a market every Thursday and Saturday.
4. In 1842, the construction of the railway station increased connectivity with London.
5. Following the Second World War, the population grew rapidly. The town lost its market function and became a town populated by those working in major cities - a commuter town.

Question 8

History of Boscombe

Answer 8

1. Established in 1878 with the construction of The Ragged Cat coaching inn.Ths was a resting place for travellers journeying between Christchurch and Poole. In 1884 people began to build houses and shops here such as the Salisbury Hotel in 1886.
2. In 1893 the Royal Arcade was opened, in 1897 Boscombe railway station opened, in 1899 Boscombe Pier was opened, and in 1900 the Boscombe Hippodrome. This established Boscombe as a holiday destination for the wealthiest in society. The population grew rapidly and by 1901 sat at 9,648.
3. Following the war, there was a boom in the seaside holiday market and Boscombe experienced a period of prosperity.
4. The closure of the Boscombe railway station in 1965 coupled with the decline in the English holiday industry in the 1970s and 80s led to the area experiencing decline. Less tourism meant that people became unemployed and had to leave the area to find work elsewhere. This meant fewer customers for local services. Many houses became HMOs and the area received a large influx of drug addicts from Liverpool in the 1970s. The town of Boscombe contains 60 drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres. As these recovering addicts left the town following their rehab, the area has a transient population.

Question 9

2019 IMD Data for Bishop’s Stortford

Answer 9

Overall:
-Bishop’s Stortford (South) = 31,342 10% least deprived)
-Bishop’s Stortford (Central) = 10,474 (40% most deprived)
-Bishop’s Stortford (Silverleys) = 32,344 (10% least deprived)

Bishop’s Stortford (Central) scores poorly in the following domains:
-Income = (7,827)
-Employment = (8,286)
-Education skills and training = (5,112)
- Crime (9,231)

Bishops Stortford (Silverleys) score poorly in the barriers to housing and services domain (10,845) likely due to high house prices in the area.

Question 10

2019 IMD Data for Boscombe

Answer 10

Overall:
-Boscombe (West) = 1,528 (10% most deprived)
-Boscombe (East) = 18,147

Boscombe (West) scores poorly in the following domains:
-Income = (1,926)
-Employment = (1,086)
-Education skills and training = (3,715)
-Health (2,221)
- Crime (3,339)

Boscombe (East) Scores relatively poorly in the crime domain (6,824) but still scores higher in every measure of deprivation than Boscombe (West)

Question 11

What was done in the Boscombe regeneration project.

Answer 11

This began in 2006 with the construction of Spa Village. The entire scheme cost £11.3 million and involved:
1. Construction of Europe’s first artificial surf reef - cost £3 million
2. Refurbishment of Boscombe Pier - This cost £2.8 million. The pier now holds major events and was awarded Pier of the year in 2010
3. Refurbishment of Overstrand building - this cost £4 million and includes beach pods.
4. Creation of a surf school
5. Construction of new beach huts
6. Construction of Chine gardens - This is a popular play area and hosts community events

Question 12

Outcomes of the Boscombe Regeneration Scheme

Answer 12

1. 32% increase in tourism
2. 40% decrease in anti social behaviour.
3. Council staff encouraged to cycle to work - increased sustainability.
4. Construction of the surf school created 45 jobs.

However, the surf reef received heavy criticism as it had only achieved 4 of its 11 objectives and was received poorly for not producing as good as a surf as hoped.

Question 13

International connections of Bishop’s Stortford

Answer 13

1. Covid-19 pandemic resulted in more people working from home. This resulted in an increased number of people seeking to live further from London. Greater demand to live here has increased house prices and influenced the construction of new housing developments. This has contributed to the area being dominated by wealthier families.
2. The presence of TNCs like BMW, and Mercedes provides increased job opportunities in the tertiary sector. Others, like Gu, have opened manufacturing sites in Stortford leading to more secondary employment.
3. Stansted airport expansion in the 1990s provided an extra 12,000 tertiary industry jobs. It may have also contributed to an increase in ethnic diversity. Another expansion took place in November 2021 increasing passenger capacity to 43,000.000 per year.
4. The recent trend of people from Hong Kong here has contributed to increased ethnic diversity.

Question 14

National connections of Bishop’s Stortford

Answer 14

1. The UK’s declining fertility rate has led to an ageing population
2. Nationwide decline of high street due to the rise of online shopping - reduction in retail function shown by closed stores
3. The UK government’s national planning strategy of providing 300,000 homes per year has contributed to a a rapidly growing population through developments like St. James’ Park and Stortford Fields

Question 15

Regional Connections of Bishop’s Stortford

Answer 15

1. The growth of London and Cambridge as a centre for the service sector and the quaternary sector has meant that Bishop’s Stortford’s population has increased. this is because Stortford serves as a commuter town to London because house prices are cheaper than in London so people choose to live in Stortford and travel to London each day via the train or via the M11 to work.
2. The success of arable farming in the surrounding area has resulted in Bishop’s Stortford having administrative function for the surrounding area.
3. The River Stort being made navigable between London and Stortford allowed Stortford to develop as a malting industry were cereals were transported to London to be sold. It also allowed Stortford’s market to develop.

Question 16

International connections of Boscombe

Answer 16

1. Despite some influence from global brands such as McDonald’s, due to the area not being affluent, TNcs see less potential for sales and choose not to locate here. this has resulted in fewer economic opportunities for local people.
2. The growth of international tourism in the 1970s led to a reduction in the tourism industry in Boscombe. this led to a loss of jobs and less income for the local people.
3. The Covid pandemic encouraged more people to holiday in the UK. This may have helped revive the tourism industry in the area, thus stimulating economic growth.
4. In 2004, 10 countries joined the EU, which has contributed to an increase in ethnic diversity in the area (18.6% in 2021 identified as “other white”), as they can access the town via Bournemouth airport.

Question 17

National Connections of Boscombe

Answer 17

1. The UK’s declining fertility rate has led to an ageing population
2. Nationwide decline of high street due to the rise of online shopping - reduction in retail function shown by closed stores
3. Opening of many new rehab centres (60 as of 2012) has meant that the area has a transient population. this is because people from other areas (such as Liverpool) move here for rehabilitation before returning home.
4. Recent laws passed have forced landlords to uphold higher living standards for their tenants. this has made HMOs less profitable which has meant landlords sell houses. Whilst this has allowed families to move into the area, it forces old residents out.

Question 18

Regional connections of Boscombe

Answer 18

1. Greater relative success and growth of Bournemouth has contributed to an increase in unemployment in Boscombe. This is because Bournemouth has better facilities, attracting shoppers meaning they are likely to shop in Boscombe. this makes retail businesses in Boscombe less profitable.
2. The expansion of Boscombe University in the 1990s has contributed to an increase in the number of students in the area as Boscombe is a cheaper place to live.