4A.7

Question 1

Describe the characteristics of infrastructure projects

Answer 1

Infrastructure projects have high cost but also high longevity

• recently there has been an increase in private sector developing infrastructure
• Withoit the correct infrastructure, regional growth can be more difficult
• there is regional disparity within infrastructure projects with £2595 being spent per person on infrastructure in London compared with £5 in the north east

Question 2

What is the HS2 case study related to infrastructure development

Answer 2

• HS2 is a high speed railway line linking North and south of england
• There are two phases to the route with the midlands to manchester leg and midlands to leeds leg

Question 3

What will the proposed positive impacts of HS2 be

Answer 3

• HS2 will radically improve journey times with the journey of birmingham to euston going from 80 minutes to 49 minutes
• 60,000 construction jobs will be created

Question 4

What are the negatives however of HS2

Answer 4

• It will pass through Chilterns hills AONB and so have a damaging effect on the environment
• There will be no intermediate stations and so commuters on the line will not be benefitted
• It will cost an estimated £56 billion (already over ) from which the government are hoping to gain via an economic multiplier affect resulting from improved transport links

Question 5

What is an update on HS2

Answer 5

-The leg to leeds has now been scrapped due to its high cost

Question 6

What is another case study of an area hoping to improve accesibility with an infrastructure project

Answer 6

Case study- airport development

• In 2015 after 12 years of debate, the airport commision gave a clear and unanimous verdict for an expansion plan at Heathrow including a third runway
• The cost is £18.6 billion with some of the supporting infrastructure being paid for out of public money

Question 7

What are the arguments for and against expansion

Answer 7

Pro expansion

• could create 70,000 jobs
• 1000 billion of benefits
• Heathrow claims it operates at capacity

Anti expansion
-the mayor of london is opposed to the expansion as are green groups such as greenpeace

Question 8

What is another case study of an infrastructure investment to maintaining
Growth

Answer 8

• The northern hub project was a project that initiated a series of improvements to rail networks around manchester
• It started when in 2011 when ten local councils came together to form the greater manchester combined authority and took control of Manchesters transport policy(among other things). A short curved section of track (ordsall chord) has been built to connect manchesters two main stations and the airport south of the station
• Joruney times have since decreased
• The government is funding electrification projects in manchester, leeds ans liverpool to allow for cheaper,longer electruc trains
• This £600 million pound investment is expected to yeild a 2.4 billion pound return

Question 9

How do national and local interests interact woth planning laws

Answer 9

• national and local governments generally control development in land
• national interests may however clash with local interests and since 2010 planning policy has foccused on economic growth
• Place marketing can be used by both types of player to rebrand and reimage a place
• Plans have to be submitted to the local authority for approval and so they hold much of teh power

Question 10

How can planning blight and gain be used and created to help/ hinder development

Answer 10

• planning gain can be used by planners which is where they allow development if there is benefit to the local community e.g adding social housing as part of a new housing development scheme
• planning blight can be created by slow decision making leading to economic stagnation and a downward spiral with decisions unable to be made by developers

Question 11

Who are the other players in planning laws

Answer 11

The EU has a say in planning and has made envronmental impact assessments compulsory for some developers

-developers may use political,parts

Question 12

How have changes to the DCLGs planning inspectorate affected economic regeneration ans planning laws

Answer 12

From 2013, the DCLGs planning inspectorate was able to be directly applied to which the government saw as good for economic growth but has negative side effects e.g persmission granted to intrusive flats

Question 13

Why is fracking in the UK being increased

Answer 13

• There is a national priority on increasing energy security and economic prosperity
• The UK were projected to have to import 70% of its gas vpby 2020 so there is national interest in increasing fracking
• Government regulations in the Uk being loosened have made it easier for fracking to be approved by local cluncils

Question 14

What are the social impacts of fracking

Answer 14

• fracking could bring new job opportunities to rural areas where shale deposits are located
• In 2014 it was thought to have created 60,000 new jobs for rural areas
• It provides secure energy
• overall the economic benefits may increase social situation
• Howver there is no community consultation in the planning
• it results in noise pollution
• the chemicals in fracking liquid can contaminate water supplies (methane found in water near fracking sites by Duke uni in the US

Question 15

What are the environmental impacts of fracking

Answer 15

• fracking sites risk destroying local habitat
• shale gas still emmits fossil feuls
• earthquakes due to fracking have been recorded near blackpool in 2011 ( a 2.3 magnitude one was recorded at preston new road in April 2011)
• Fracking refuced the amount of coal which is one of the dirtiest forms of fossil fuel
• there is also less water used than in coal production

Question 16

What are the economic impacts of fracking

Answer 16

• inevstments into fracking at expense of renewables risks halting green gas production
• The uk has enough shale to meet demands for years to come which would allow less to be spent on imports of coal and oil

Question 17

How has the right to buy scheme influenced housing affordalibilty

Answer 17

• Social housing has been depleted by the right to buy scheme ( the selling of 2 million council owned homes before 1995) causing an affordable housing defecit
• The expectation was for charitable low cost buisnesses to replace the low cost social housing howver this has not happened
• This has led to a shortfall in supply with a long waiting list, hindering economic regeneration(no long term plans can be made)

Question 18

What changes have added to this issue

Answer 18

• The 2011 localism act abolished regional planning authorities so post 2011 decisions centre around local decisions. This has led to
• Under investment
• shortfalls in accomodation
• hotspots of inflated house prices
• Rigid planning rules hindering development

Question 19

What social changes have also taken place whixh are affecting housing affordability

Answer 19

• Increased elderly and single households are putting pressure on housing
• Low incomes are now having to pay more in some instances than higher incomes
• 1 million new homes were needed by 2020

Question 20

How has immigration policy changed in relation to accesion 8

Answer 20

• In 2004 eight eastern european countries joined the EU
• Many people from these countries have decided to call the UK home, with 1.2 million poles alone coming and giving birth to over 21000 children

Question 21

What has the effect been on the economy and regeneration

Answer 21

• The immigration has revitalised ageing populations
• It has been crucial to the regeneration of local areas e.g slough
• There is increased GDP thanks to the immigratoin
• well qualified as well as lower qualified workers have been able to fill skill shortages

Question 22

What has the reaction to the immigration been and how has this shaped policy

Answer 22

• Small number of immigrants create media hysteria from right wing media outlets
• Right wing groups sich as the EDL and UKIP have heavily campaigner against immigration, with it being seen as one of the key aspects in the brexit debate
• From 2010 onwards a restrictuve policy was introduced towards immigration with conservatives ‘good immigration not mass immigration’ only the ‘most benefitial allow to stay’

Question 23

What was the aim of thatchers 1980s deregulation

Answer 23

• The deregulation pf 1986 financial centre removed trade barriers and a big bang of deregulation
• It removed the barriers from stopping overseas banks setting up offices in the UK
• It tried to encourage investment by ending the stock exchange ans encoruaging the UK and US monopoly to set up in the UK

Question 24

What were the positives of the deregulation

Answer 24

-It allowed foreign investment, regeneration of the docklands and boost in the financial centre ( banking, finance and buisness services created 30% of the GDP by 2008 double that of 1986)

Question 25

What were the negatives of the deregulation

Answer 25

• The deregulation was added to by labour governments however the changes are partly blamed for the 2008 financial crash and general low economic gain
• it allowed foreign inverstors to invest without seeking governmnet approval
• The overall indsutry is worth 164.8 billion but companies can leave whener they want such as HSBC who have threatened to leave for asia. In response to this the government have had to halve banking levys

-to regain some control the givernment introduced the financial services act of 2012 and strengthened the role of the bank of england to ensure stability

Question 26

What do local governments do to promote regeneration

Answer 26

Local governments aim to present areas as having potential for inward investment

-This may include creating sympathetic byusness environments and local plans designating areas for development and investment

Question 27

What are science parks

Answer 27

• Science parks are areas devoted to scientific research or development of technilogical advances
• They focus on the commercialisation ot research
• Councils have to ensure the right infrastructure is put in place to make sure a science park thrives

Question 28

Why have science parks been set up in cambridge and oxford

Answer 28

-Both areas have a high concentration of skills and reputation that local councils want to use to encourage business

Local government can facilitate them via local plans by putting enterprise zones in place or using their communuty infrastructure levy to invest in the place

Question 29

What has been set up in cambridge

Answer 29

Cambridge opened their science oark and st johns innovation centre with microsoft, toshiba and the royal society of chemistry setting up there

Question 30

What barriers are there for oxford science park and how have they been overcome

Answer 30

In oxford house prices have proved a barrier to workers

• House prices are 11 times the local average which has put off leading acedemics
• In response to this the university has begun to take a larger role in decision making. Both oxford and begbroke science parks are linked ti the uni and have been built on the outskirts

-thanks to this there have been many high tech and engineering companies set up wnd this has created continued growth for the city e.g infrastructure rail to london and 500 million shoppimg centre development

Question 31

What is the regeneration and investment organisations plans for the fiture

Answer 31

by 2018 the regeneration and investment organisation aims to consplidate the golden triangle of life scinecs between Oxford ,Cambridge and London

-Life sciences is the third largest grieth sector economically