Unit 6

• Today 70% of UK land is used for agriculture, but only 1% of workers are in the agricultural sector
• Between 1995 and 2000, rural settlements in UK lost 20% of some of its most vital institutions: corner shops, grocers, high street banks, post offices and pubs
• Issues causing 'Spiral of Decline' in many rural towns

  • Fewer jobs due to primary industry employment decline
  • Low wages in remaining employment
  • Long travel distances to work in urban areas
  • Lack of skilled employment as skilled worker migrate to urban locations
  • Fewer shops and services due to declining population and decline in incomes leading to more job losses in tertiary sectors
  • Out-migration by young people creating an ageing population
• Ludlow


  A historic market town in South Shropshire, containing many attractive and historic buildings including a Norman castle
• Ludlow has seen its population grow from 9,528 in 2001 to 10,266 in 2011
• Ludlow's Rebranding Focus

  A centre of gastronomy
• Ludlow Food Festival

  1. Promote the area's small food and drink produce

  2. Encourage visitors to explore restaurants and pubs
• Visitor numbers to Ludlow Food Festival rose from 6,000 in 1999 to a peak of 21,000 in 2010
• Cittaslow movement


  Encourages small towns with less than 50,000 people to develop based on quality of life principles, including the 'Slow Food' movement
• Aims of the Slow Food movement

  • Produce quality flavoursome food
  • Production that doesn't harm the environment (clean)
  • Fair conditions and pay for producers
• Local to Ludlow campaign

  1. Organise Ludlow Local Produce Market

  2. Promote and support local food and drink producers and shops and businesses that sell or use locally sourced materials

  3. Reduce environmental impact by selling compostable jute shopping bags and cutting down on packaging and food miles
• Ludlow farmshop sells good quality, locally produced meats such as Venison and Cattle, with 90% of feed grown on site
• According to an article by the Telegraph, Ludlow is described as the culinary capital of Britain and a "must see"
• In 2015, a house in the centre of Ludlow could cost anywhere between £250,000 and £300,000
• Between 2001 and 2011, second home ownership, those aged over 60, and management/professional occupations all rose in Ludlow
• The Sandpits Estate in Ludlow is an area of social housing that falls into the bottom 40% of deprived areas in the country, with high unemployment at 8.7% compared to the regional average of 4.6%
• The landscape around St Austell is covered with the scars of the China Clay industry, which is a declining industry facing an uncertain future
• In 2006, 800 China clay jobs were axed, almost half of the Imerys staff, due to soaring energy costs
• The Eden Project


  A tourist attraction located on the site of a derelict china clay mine 3 miles north east of St. Austell, housing a diverse collection of plant and flower species collected from around the world
• The Eden Project cost over £100 million to build, funded through Lottery Funding, the EU Regional Development Fund, and the Southwest Regional Development Agency
• Since the Eden Project opened in 2001, it has generated more than £2 billion for the regional economy
• Key Events at the Eden Project

  • March 2001: Eden opens its doors
  • August 2002: Eden Sessions launches
  • September 2005: The Core opens
  • July 2009: The Big Lunch launches
  • September 2015: The Eden degree launches
  • May 2021: Drilling begins for Eden geothermal
• Impacts of the Eden Project


  • 2,500 local suppliers used for catering, 87% of produce from the South West and 82% from Cornwall
  • Over 9 million people get involved in the Big Lunch each year
  • 750,000 visitors a year on average
  • Local multiplier effect: 80% of local businesses say they have benefited
  • Educational centre teaching about sustainability
  • Constructed on a brownfield site
  • Each visitor spends on average £150 in Cornwall
  • Increased congestion and pollution due to visitor traffic
  • Many jobs are low wage and seasonal
  • Geothermal Energy Plant capable of supplying energy to the Eden Project and 4,000 homes
  • Reduced Cornwall's unemployment rate by 6%
  • The Big Lunch now takes place in over 70 countries worldwide