Economic UK Flashcards
Science parks
They are a group of scientific and technical knowledge-based businesses located on a single site
- on edges of towns
- near universities (graduates provide skilled workforce + have necessary equipment/research)
- near big roads + airports
E.g Southampton opened in 1986
Outer Hebrides social changes (area of population decline)
SOCIAL IMPACTS:
- overall decline of around 50% since 1901 from 46000 to 27000
- number of school children expected to fall leading to schools closing
- fewer people of working age living there as they go looking for better opportunities else where
- increasingly ageing population leading to care issues
Road improvements
- 2014, £15 billion ‘road investment strategy’ , creates 1000’s of construction jobs and boosts local and regional economies. Plans include:
- 100 new road schemes by 2020
- 1300 new lane miles added to motorways and trunk roads to tackle congestion
- extra lanes added into main motorways to turn them into ‘smart motorways’ and improving links between London, Birmingham and the north.
Railway improvements
- plans to stimulate economic growth in the north of the UK.
- electrification of the trans-pennine Express railway between Manchester and York by 2020, reducing journey times by up to 15 minutes
- electrification of the Midland mainline between London and Sheffield by 2023
- HS2 (high speed 2) - A 50 billion plan for the new high-speed Rail line. Due to start in 2017 and finish in 2033. People are against it, the route passes through several stretches of countryside and close to homes.
North-south divide
- Deindustrialisation lead to a sector shift where the UK moved from secondary to tertiary sector economy
- IT and machines (mechanisation) have led to efficiencies which generate more wealth for UK but this wasn’t distributed equally
- London housing prices are £265,000 whereas in the north they can be £135,000
- Government spending per person in London is £9176 whereas in Yorkshire government spending is £7623
Causes of economic change: deindustrialisation
- technology replaced people
- other countries produce cheaper goods because labour is less expensive
- UK products to expensive due to high labour costs and outdated machinery
Causes of economic change:
Globalisation
The growth and spread of ideas around the world
- lead to growing quaternary sector and a decline in manufacturing
Causes of economic change: government policies
1979-2010: state run industries sold off to private shareholders (privatisation) resulted to many older industries closing and jobs were lost
2010: rebalancing the economy: policies included
- improvements to transport (HS2)
- more investment in manufacturing
- encouraging global firms to relocate in the UK
Post industrial economy: Development of information technology
- computers allow large amounts of data to be stored and accessed very quickly
- internet enables communication
- work from home
- 1.3 million work in IT
Post industrial economy: Service industries and finance
- contributes 79% of economic output
- UK is the world leading centre for financial services, 10% of UK GDP
- employs over 2 million people
Post industrial economy: Research
- employs 60000
- contributes over £3 billion
Examples of UK research organisations: BBC, Universities, ministry of defence, engineering
Business parks
- located on edges of town because land is cheaper and more available
- businesses can benefit by working together
Eg cobalt business park opened in 2015
Impacts of industry on the physical environment
- look dull and uninteresting
- air and water pollution
- degrading of soil
- transport of raw materials increases levels of air pollution
Torr Quarry, Somerset
- contributes £15 million towards local economy
- The quarry is being restored to create wildlife lakes for recreation and water supply
- 200 acres landscaped to blend in with surrounding countryside
- Rail transport minimises impact on local roads
Outer Hebrides changes (area of population decline)
Social:
- The number of children in schools is expected to fall over the next few years resulting in school closures
- with many young people moving away there will be fewer of the working age
- with an increasing ageing population care issues may be found
Economic:
- farming : main farming is sheep breading called crofts yet they can only provide work for up to 2 days
- fishing : 1948 <900 fishing boats, 2013 just a few
- tourism : 2007-2014, 27% increase but not enough facilities (hotels) to provide an alternative source of income
