Changing rural populations in South Shropshire Objective: to revise knowledge of migration and its impacts, and build a case study of its effects in South Shropshire. Key Words: counterurbanisation, local services, socio-economic background, conflict, second homes, house prices Think about pull and push factors for rural areas i.e. i)why people would want to move in to a rural area, and ii)why people might want to move out of a rural area Remember - be specific about different groups of people. This is important for exam case studies. Pull Factors High quality of life Nice big homes Peaceful countryside Clean air Push Factors Expensive homes Lack of jobs Limited shops Lack of cultural facilities Who moves in and who moves out? Young professionals, families and the retired move in, while teenagers and young adults tend to move out to the cities.

Create a table of your own like the one below. Add to the push and pull factors that cause movements in and out of rural areas like Shropshire. Retired professionals moving out of larger towns and into the countryside Young adults moving out of the countryside and into larger towns. Push FactorsPull FactorsPush FactorsPull Factors Peace and quietFew full-time jobs Objective: to revise knowledge of migration and its impacts, and build a case study of its effects in South Shropshire.

In your exam it is quite likely that you will have to interpret some data - Data Analysis. Look at page 66 and 67 of the WJEC text book. This shows us a case study of what is happening to the population of South Shropshire. Figures 10 and 11 shows us a comparison of the percentage of people living in rural and urban areas. Compare the population structure of Clun (a rural area) with that of Shrewsbury (an urban area), and suggest two reasons for the differences you can see. In Clun there are fewer young people, under the age of 44, compared to Shrewsbury. However Clun has a higher percentage of older people, with a significant difference in the 60 – 74 age bracket (Clun 22.1%, Shrewsbury 14.3%). Why is this? Older people like the peace and quiet of Clun, while younger people have moved to the urban area in search of jobs and a more entertaining lifestyle. Objective: to revise knowledge of migration and its impacts, and build a case study of its effects in South Shropshire.

Now look at Figure 13 on page 67 of the WJEC text book. It shows the different percentages of ethnic populations in Bishop’s Castle (rural) and the West Midlands overall. 1)Explain what this data tells us about the ethnic origin of people who migrate into Bishop’s Castle. 2)Suggest why so few Asian and black Afro-Caribbean people move into the countryside. 3)Suggest why this might cause problems for the UK’s multicultural society unless things change. Objective: to revise knowledge of migration and its impacts, and build a case study of its effects in South Shropshire.

Conflict in rural areas Character Groups: 1)Young adults in a rural area: 2) Newcomers just moved into a rural area: 3) Rural shop owners: 4) Elderly residents of the rural area: We are going to think about conflict – how do newcomers to an area cause conflict among locals? What do newcomers think about this conflict? Think about these roles and put together an argument about your opinions on migration into rural areas. Use your own knowledge plus the information on page 68 of the WJEC text book to hep you create the argument for these different characters. Objective: to revise knowledge of migration and its impacts, and build a case study of its effects in South Shropshire.

Different People’s Opinions on Migration into Rural Areas Young adults in a rural area Newcomers just moved into a rural area Rural shop owners Elderly residents of the rural area

Focus on ………. The cost of housing in rural areas. As we have already seen, the influx of newcomers to the rural areas pushes up house prices, forcing out those that cannot afford to buy their own homes. Second homes ……. House price rises are often linked to people buying second homes in the countryside, which are only used during weekends and holidays. This also has an impact on rural services and can force them to close, as the people who buy the second homes are not really around to use the services. Objective: to revise knowledge of migration and its impacts, and build a case study of its effects in South Shropshire.

And the red brick cottage where I was born Is the empty shell of a holiday home. Most of the year there’s no one there, The village is dead and they don’t care. Now we live on the edge of town, Haven’t been back since the pub closed down. One man’s family pays the price For another man’s vision of country life. An extract from the lyrics of Country Life by folk group Show of Hands. Describe and explain the point of view expressed in these song lyrics. Why do some places have more second homes than others? Objective: to revise knowledge of migration and its impacts, and build a case study of its effects in South Shropshire.

Read page 71 of the WJEC text book about dealing with second homes. Second homes qualify for reductions in council tax – often a 50% reduction. What does this mean for the council’s ability to spend money on local services? There is not as much money as there would be if people lived in the “second homes” full time. How does South Shropshire deal with the issue of second homes and the lack of income from Council Tax? They have reduced the discount available from 50% to 10%. Complete questions 21, 22 and 24 on page 71. Next, write a letter to the local Council from the point of view of a rural resident in South Shropshire. Explain your feelings about the lack of affordable homes in the area, and comment on what you think about the second homes / council tax issue. Extension: write your own poem about the effects second homes have had on the countryside. Objective: to revise knowledge of migration and its impacts, and build a case study of its effects in South Shropshire.