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Section B — Changing Economic WorldUKPaper 2

UK Economy — Post-Industrial Change

Post-industrial economy · science parks · north-south divide · South Cambridgeshire vs Outer Hebrides.

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Key facts — from Seaford 2025–27 case study notes

Post-industrial economy — science & business parks

  • Science and business parks cluster high-tech, research and knowledge-based industries
  • Usually located near universities or cities to access skilled workers
  • Support innovation, economic growth and post-industrial regeneration
  • Advantages: High-skilled well-paid jobs · collaboration with universities · regenerate former industrial sites
  • Disadvantages: High infrastructure costs · jobs require skilled workers (not accessible to all) · gentrification of surrounding areas

North-South Divide

  • Economic, social and health inequalities between the wealthier South East and the less prosperous North and Midlands
  • South East has higher house prices, wages, employment rates and life expectancy
  • North has higher unemployment, lower wages, greater deprivation
  • Government investment through HS2, Northern Powerhouse aims to rebalance

Population growth — South Cambridgeshire

  • Counter-urbanisation: People moving out of London to rural areas
  • Population: 154,000 now, expected 182,000 by 2031
  • Attracted by Cambridge's high-tech industries and quality of life
  • Migration from UK and Eastern Europe — NI registrations rose 25% in 2013

Population decline — Outer Hebrides

  • Remote island chain off north-west Scotland
  • Young people leave for better opportunities on the mainland
  • Ageing population · school and service closures · economic decline
  • Challenge of maintaining services for a declining, ageing and scattered population
Exam questions — 3 questions · 10 marks
Geography exam tip: Always use named examples with specific data. "An earthquake in Nepal" scores fewer marks than "The 2015 Nepal earthquake (magnitude 7.9, 9,000 deaths)." Learn the statistics on this page.
1 markScience parks location

Why are science and business parks usually located near universities?

A Universities provide cheap land for construction
B Planning laws require high-tech industries to be on university campuses
C Universities provide access to a skilled workforce, research expertise and graduates for knowledge-intensive industries
D Universities provide subsidised energy for nearby businesses
4 marksNorth-south divide

Explain the north-south divide in the UK and give one reason why it exists. (4 marks)

Hint: Explain what the divide is, give specific examples of the differences, then explain at least one cause.
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3 marksPopulation change case studies

Compare South Cambridgeshire and the Outer Hebrides as examples of contrasting population change in the UK. (3 marks)

Hint: Compare the two places directly — why one is growing and the other declining, and the challenges each faces.
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Case study complete! 🎉

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