Challenges of Rural Areas
- Rural areas face two main issues:
- Availability
- Affordability
Availability
- In rural areas there may be a lack of:
- Housing
- Services
- Jobs
- Labour
Affordability
- Costs of some things are higher due to accessibility and demand including:
- Houses
- Transport
- Less accessible rural areas face challenges due to:
- Depopulation
- Tourism
- Counter-urbanisation
- In the UK 19% of people live in rural areas
- Rural areas are defined as areas with a population of less than 10,000
Housing
- In many rural areas there has been an increase in second homes and holiday homes
- Increasing numbers of people retiring or moving to rural areas and commuting or homeworking
- The increased pressure on housing has led to increased prices which locals cannot afford
- Affordable housing is often substandard as they tend to be older properties which may lack heating or be damp
Employment
- In many rural areas primary employment has decreased due to:
- Mechanisation which means not as many workers are needed in farming, forestry and mining
- Cheaper imports which reduce the demand for primary resources
- Primary industry declines further as:
- The younger generation chooses better paid jobs
- Over 33% of farm owners are over 65 and near retirement age
Healthcare, education and services
- Many areas have no Doctor's surgery or have limited opening times
- The nearest hospital may be a number of hours away as smaller hospitals have closed
- Bus routes have been reduced and many rural areas have no service for others it may only be a couple of buses a week
- Primary schools have closed due to low numbers meaning children have to travel long distances for school and college
- These challenges can lead to a negative multiplier effect
Negative multiplier effect in rural areas
Quality of Life
- Quality of Life can be assessed using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)
- Uses a variety of indicators to indicate how deprived an area is including:
- Education
- Health
- Housing
- Crime
- Income
- Employment
- Environment
- Uses a variety of indicators to indicate how deprived an area is including:
- Although crime rates tend to be lower and the environment more pleasant that does not mean everyone's quality of life is high
- Different groups are affected in a variety of ways
Young people
- Have to travel long distances to school/college
- Limited job opportunities
- Low wages
- Lack of affordable housing
- Lack of facilities and entertainment
Elderly
- Lack of public transport affects their ability to get around
- Often need healthcare more frequently and may have to travel long distances to access it
- Feel isolated
Exam Tip
When writing about rural areas in the exam it is important to remember that not all rural areas are the same. There are differences between:
- Accessible rural areas: these are areas within commuting distance of cities and are experiencing increasing counter-urbanisation as families and retirees move out of the urban areas
- Remote rural areas: these are areas which are less accessible and many are experiencing depopulation. Some like Cornwall and the Lake District are also affected by high levels of tourism and second homes/holiday homes