Internal Migration within the UK
Internal migration is where people migrate, or move around, their own country of origin. People move from region to region for different reasons.
Push Factors
- Unemployment in the NE
- Decline in farming workforces
- Pressures in cities
- Technological changes
- Traffic congestion
- Pollution
- Fear of crime
Pull Factors
- Growth in service industries
- Higher salaries
- Improved communication
- Urban renewal
- ‘Rural dream’
- Estate agents promoting areas
North to South drift
Regions such as North East England had relied on coalfields, shipyards, iron and steel; heavy engineering like this one provided 1000s of jobs. From the 1960s onwards these industries declined, making 1000s unemployed. There is a perceived lower quality of life in the North, due to older housing, derelict land from industry, etc. Rural regions in the Scottish Highlands and Central Wales suffered large unemployment and a decline in the farming workforce, leading to rural depopulation.
The effects on Southern areas such as London and East Anglia have grown. The South experienced growth in service industries close to the EU and job opportunities. There were higher salaries, more social/sporting amenities, better communities and the Channel Tunnel was built.
Counter-urbanisation
This is where people migrate to rural areas, from urban. The people who move are:
- Younger families, looking for more open space and larger properties
- Higher income groups, who are able to afford larger houses and the cost of commuting
- Those with higher skills, looking for work in modern/footloose industries.
They move because:
- Pressures in the city, such as traffic, pollution etc
- Technological development/change, such as teleworking
- Improved communications, such as car ownership
- Urban renewal process, such as forced re-housing
But, there is also regeneration in certain areas, i.e. London Docklands (1990s), and inner city areas that promote living there.
The factors that helped counter-urbanisation are:
- Technological change, e.g. internet, blackberry mobile, apple technology, people working from there
- Telephone, TV, allow rural lifestyles without isolation
- Improvements in road/motorway systems/networks, which encourage people to move out of the city
- Urban renewal processes in 50s and 60s, e.g. slum clearance, people re-housed in outer-cities such as rural areas/countryside
Consequences for rural settlement of urbanisation
Counter-urbanisation leads to the growth of suburbanized, dormitory, commuter towns and villages, e.g. St Ives as a commuter town.
The negative effects are:
- House prices increase, so local young people cannot afford to buy property in areas they grew up in
- Increase in population
- Dormitory villages lose vitality and community spirit, meaning they are very quiet during the day
The positive effects are:
- Improvement of services, e.g. gas mains, cable TV, etc
- Supports some local facilities, e.g. builders etc
Inner city to outer city movement (suburbanization)
Push Factors:
- Poor quality housing that lack basic amenities
- Overcrowding
- Congestion and air pollution
- High unemployment and lesser skilled jobs in traditional industries
Pull factors:
- Modern high-quality housing
- Less population density
- Less congestion with wider, well-planned road systems
- More services
- Fewer ethnic, racial problems
Consequences for the Source County and Destination County
Consequences for the inner city
Advantages:
- Reduces unemployment
- Space for immigrants moving
- Reduced pressure on services
Disadvantages:
- Reduces community spirit
- Less investment
- Social unrest and increased crime
Consequences for the suburbs
Advantages:
- Increased use and demand for services
Disadvantages:
- Increased house building
- Increase in traffic congestion and pollution
- Increase in industry and offices