Case studies: Issues in the remote rural environment

Question 1

What are the issues in remote rural environments?

Answer 1

• Population change (Out-migration and aging population)
• Poor service provision
• Transport

Question 2

What is a remote rural environment?

Answer 2

An area sufficiently distant from major urban areas so as not to be affected by urbanisation and suburbanisation.

Question 3

Discuss population change

Answer 3

• Young economically active leave to go and study in cities (brain drain).
• This means there is a lack of qualified labour. There is no attraction for firms in this area.
• Therefore no government investment in infrastructure as there is little population. Then this repeats.

Question 4

Discuss Poor service provision

Answer 4

-Services are often centralized in urban areas, and they close down in remote rural areas.

Question 5

Discuss Transport

Answer 5

• Some transport services will not operate in low demand areas, or become infrequent in operation.
• Poor quality roads mean that already remote areas are isolated even further.

Question 6

How has population change affected the UK?

Answer 6

• As a result of economic deprivation in remote rural Scotland, the number of 16 to 24-year-olds contracted by 5.3% in 2008.
• In the next 25 years, the number of people living over 65 in rural areas in the UK will increase 20% more than the rest of the UK.

Question 7

How has poor service provision affected the UK?

Answer 7

• Around 8,500 post offices have been shut down across the UK. This means people have to travel longer distances for services.
• DEFRA estimates 30 rural schools close a year since the 1970s

Question 8

How has transport decreased in the UK?

Answer 8

Services in remote rural are removed or infrequent.

In Scotland the number of bus passengers has decreased by 16% since 1990 in remote rural areas.