Rural management and the challenges of continuity and change Flashcards
What changes happened in rural areas, productivist to post productivist phase?
WW2: We nearly surrendered due to lack of food because the Germans were blockading our shipments form the colonies
1950-80: green revolution - increase in farm output due to mechanisation, modernisation and industrialisation of farming so we could feed ourselves
1980s onwards:
- changes towards quality not quantity
- environmental considerations
- high production values
- didn’t creat jobs however
What is the post-productive countryside?
rural areas that no longer make most of their income from primary industry e.g. farming/fishing/forestry etc and are now dominated by consumption and recreation
Why has there been a loss of jobs in the post-productive countryside?
Globalisation
Technology
Social change
How has globalisation caused job loss in the post-productive countryside?
- competition with the wider world has led to sectoral change
- other places have better/year round growing conditions so agriculture declines
How has technology caused job loss in the post-productive countryside?
mechanisation, automation, transport and internet change the perceptions/realities of working in rural areas
- mechanisation: machines are more efficient and less expensive than humans
- society: people want to be in cities as they see city jobs as being more valued and better paid
- tertiary sector growth: jobs are higher paid, flexible and attractive
- retirees
- imports/globalisation (see other flashcard)
How has social change caused job loss in the post-productive countryside?
- people want to eat out of season foods, increasing imports e.g. Almería, Spain
- people are more interested in exotic foods e.g. pineapples that aren’t grown in the UK countryside
Why are accessible rural areas growing?
COUNTER-URBANISATION from 1970 onwards
KEY FACTORS AFFECTING:
- improved transport/increase in car ownership
- more jobs in reach of rural areas (not in city centres)
- changes in tech and increased use of IT
- increase in standards of living promote the desire to ‘seek the good life’ in the country. People will take a pay cut to live in a better env
What are the push factors away from urban areas?
e.g.
- crime
- pollution
- congestion
- noise
- poor schools
What are the pull factors towards rural areas?
e.g.
- rural idyll (bigger houses, gardens, green spaces, relaxed…)
- better QoL
- reduced pollution, crime, congestion
- less stress
What is counter-urbanisation?
the migration of population and jobs from major urban areas to more rural settlements
What are the main reasons for counter-urbanisation?
PUSH FROM URBAN
- env and social problems with inner cities
- industry becomes unsatisfied with inner city leads to growing popularity of ‘out-of-town’ industrial and business parks
PULL TO RURAL
- improvements in rural transport infr. and increased car ownership allows greater freedom of choice where to live
- growth of Information Communication Technology (email/video conferencing) allows people to work from home and so are not tied to urban areas
SOCIAL REASONS
- people reacquaint with family and friends
- retire to a quiet place
- think the countryside is more suitable for families
- think climate/env better for their health
Give 4 characteristics of counte-urbanisation
- people seeking affordable property
- switch from polluted and busy city to relaxed life in country
- commuting for urban work
- convenient living place (e.g. next to motorway in a smallish, cheapish house)
How does counter-urbanisation differ in the South/North?
SOUTH
- richer rural areas surrounding by growing urban areas
- pressures on land/housing, shrinking primary industry, and young people
NORTH
- motorways and rural lifestyle attracts people from towns suffering deindustrialisation and multiple deprivation
Counter-urbanisation is from deprived towns to affluent rural areas e.g. Bradford to Ribble Valley
How is the perception of jobs in rural areas different to reality?
PERCEPTION
- mainly agricultural or primary industry
- a more charming and idyllic scene
REALITY (16-74)
- commuters
- tourism and leisure (9%)
- service and retail
- conservation
1. professional occupations (17.5%)
2. skilled trades (14.2%)
- managers, directors and senior officials
- seasonal and low pay
What are the challenges in manage rural areas to ensure they are viable to continue to support locals/meet demands?
- second home ownership
- transport, health and services provision
- challenges managing counter-urbanisation and second home ownership
- ongoing regeneration/rebranding challenges
What are the problems associated with second home ownership?
Give an example
- increased house prices
- increased long term rentals
- ‘ghost towns’
- pressure on local services
- local housing out of reach of locals on low wages
2016 St Ives - held a referendum to ascertain whether the area should permit more second homes because residents not happy with building new properties. >80% backed the ban on building houses unless for full time residents
- 1 in 5 homes in the district were already 2nd homes
Give an example of a development (sort of second homes) that causes problems for local housing
‘Lakes By Yoo’
- 850 acre private development
- parkland/lakes/woodland/meadows in the Cotswolds
- idyllic properties with interior design by big designers e.g. Phillipe Starck, Kate Moss
- property experts Humberts selling second homes on the basis of privacy and rural idyll, using ‘celebrity’ names as a promotional tool (identity, representation, image)
- already super expensive: pushes issues even further
- doesn’t quite fit with old identity (glass fronts etc)
Give stats on second home ownership
> 165,000 people own holiday homes in Eng
Highest = Cornwall = 6,080 houses 2021
Gwynedd has more holiday houses per head of resident pop
Cumbria has 4,684
What are the problems associated with transport, health and service provision?
Give an example
INEQUALITY
- lack of public trans
- people have to travel further than in urban areas, in cars
- 11% have no access to car, 28% urban. Reflects relative wealth of new rural pop compared to long term residents
ISOLATION
- 1/3 rural residents find public transport inadequate
- due to irregular service, fitting in with work/school hours
PERIPHERY
- elderly pop increases, so does health support challenges
- % of people living with disability/health probs that limit activity higher in rural than urban especially in remote areas
SERVICE PROVISION
How is service provision under threat in some communities?
- few shops in villages
- some chains open village stores but profits leave village and effect on local spending is small
PO CLOSURE
- service moves to share with others but alternative sites needed
- business don’t want to be associated with PO - tech scandal
- bank closure: 243 closed in 2014 in rural areas due to success of online banking
- low broadband speed in remote areas, with has an impact of isolation on the community
What thing is having a positive/non-detrimental impact on transport, health and service provision in rural areas?
MIGRATION
- rural-rural migrants remain in rural occupations and branch into food/accomodation businesses which can employ other, leading to a multiplier effect
- urban-rural migrants more likely to set up arts/crafts/IT related businesses which rarely employ extra staff
- young migrants into the country earn more and are in higher professional occupations
Give some motivations for moving to/between rural areas for both counter-urban and rural-rural migrants
EMPLOYMENT
c-u = 11%
r-r = 22%
QOL
c-u = 26%
r-r = 15%
RETIREMENT
c-u = 33%
r-r = 28%
What are the ongoing regeneration/rebranding challenges?
Give examples
MOST GREATEST CHALLENEGES = TOO SMALL TO BE SUBJECT TO A MAJOR REGENERATION SCHEME
- small challenges for the population are addressed by minor changes that impact the community (DIVERSIFICATION)
e.g. Penrith Beacon Edge
- defibrillator phone box
e.g. North Stoke, West Sussex
- telephone box now a local library and visitor guide point
e.g. av 22 community owned shops open in UK each year
- Pwllglas community shop
- PO in Cornwall
Give some statistics of ongoing regeneration and rebranding challenges
- 2010 - 4,000 village shops closed
- 27 schools closed 2008-2011
- 800,000 rural migrants 2000-2010, older gen outpricing young lifeblood
- 400,000 fewer people 15-19 living in rural communities 1990-2010
