How is regeneration managed? Local and national governments as decision makers

Question 1

HS2

Answer 1

• instead of expanding road networks which has been the policy since 1945, hs2 is expanding the railway network.
• 1958- there were only 4.5 million vehicles in the uk, 2013- 35 million.
• the road building programme hasn’t kept up with the pace of growing vehicle ownership= roads becoming v congested.
• the worst congestion=core of London and se England(Birmingham) extending to Manchester vie the m6.
• rail travel offers an alternative, allows people to work on their laptops whilst commuting. however rail traffic is also at its highest too.) 2002-3 =1 billion rail journeys, 2014= 1.65 billion.
• increase in population and uk infrastructure needs to catch up.

Question 2

hs2 route

Answer 2

2 phases;
phase 1= high speed link between London euston and Birmingham.
2= lead north - west to Manchester and Leeds.

Question 3

hs2 benefits/problms

Answer 3

benefit= improved journey times between major cities, 60000 jobs created

cons= planned route will pass through the chilterns, communities along the route won’t gain from it.

Question 4

hs2- role of the central gov

Answer 4

• some projects like hs2, are too expensive for private companies to invest in, its cost is 50 billion.
• as a service, transport rarely make profit, although uk rail is privatised, central gov subsidised them by 3.8 billion in 2015. without these, rail companies would be at a loss.
• bc private companies can’t afford to build hs2, the central gov is the only organisation able to profit sufficient capital. this expense is viewed as an investment, bc the gov will gain;
• franchising fees from train companies to run services
• an economic multiplier i.e growth- resulting in improved transport links.

each project is subject to a CBA, where costs are weighed against economic growth.

Question 5

cornwall

Answer 5

• population is rapidly growing- traditionally it attracted retired people but now families are increasing in number, without new housing - where will they all live?
• sw England needs more housing, 27000 new homes need to be built a year but only 16000 are built.
• housing shortages have driven up house prices in relation to earnings- Cornwall is a low wage county. the demand for low cost social housing rose by 40% between 2010-11.

Question 6

meeting the demand for housing

Answer 6

urgent bc;

• rapidly rising population
• increase in no of house holds, high divorce rate= more housing
• overseas investors buying up property as a safe investment- London and then leaving it unoccupied
• the need for more affordable housing- a lot os social housing has been lost through the right to buy scheme = shortage of housing for people w low income.

Question 7

deregulation

Answer 7

-uks financial sector was to be deregulated, Margaret thatcher made this decision, which resulted in a new era of prosperity for the ups financial sector- transformed London into a major world city.

it involved;

• instead of the London stock exchange having a monopoly on all share dealings, any bank, financial adviser- or even individuals- could trade in shares= freedom for people to invest
• barriers stopping over seas banks and financial institutions Fromm setting up offices in London were also removed. until then, only uk banks could trade here.

-allowed foreign investors to invest in the uk without seeking uk gov approval, transformed the ups economy. London docklands created space for large offices in Canary Wharf.