Choosing Sites for Rural Land Uses
Land Use
Settlement
Nearby?
Hill Sheep Farming
Need somewhere to sell
produce (wool and lambs).
Increased distance means
increased transport costs.
Forestry
Need a settlement with a
saw mill to process the
timber. A settlement will
provide workers.
Reservoirs and HEP
Settlements need to be far
away so they don’t get
flooded but near enough to
reduce the cost of laying
pipes.
Wind Farms
Increasing distance from
settlements increases costs
of electricity cables. But
can’t be too near due to
noise of turbines.
Tourism & Recreation
Settlements needed for….
Accommodation such as
hotels. Attractions such as
museums. Amenities such
as parks.
Accessibility
Good?
Usually not good e.g. single
track roads which means
transport costs are higher.
Accessibility needed during
building when large lorries
with building materials
need access.
Landscape?
Height
Aspect
Slope
Sheep can survive on higher
land where it is cold and
windy. Slopes are too steep
for growing crops because
machinery cannot be used
and soil is thin and infertile.
Need roads to transport
wind turbines and for
maintenance. Narrow
roads would be difficult for
large lorries.
Higher areas are windier so
more electricity is
produced. Facing the
prevailing wind (SW) is
better. Can’t build on really
steep slopes.
Main roads will mean
tourists get there more
quickly and easily. Railway
station and bus station will
encourage visitors.
A range of scenery for site
seeing. Also mountains for
hill-walking, forests for
mountain biking, rivers for
canoeing, lakes for fishing.
Effects –
Negative?
Social
Economic
Environmental
Could stop walkers from
accessing hills during
lambing
Provides few jobs which are
poorly paid and
Roads are needed for large
lorries for transporting.
A main road nearby will
mean timber is transported
more quickly.
Conifers can survive cold
weather due to needles but
might get blown over above
500m. Confers can grow on
steep slopes but if the
slopes are too steep the
machinery can’t be used
Foxes hide in forests which
may be a nuisance to hill
sheep farmers. Risk of
forest fires. Spoils the
scenery with rows of trees
and straight edges.
Some people have to be
moved. Plants and smaller
animals are destroyed when
the valley is flooded. Pipes
and dams make the scenery
look ugly.
Residents nearby may be
disturbed by noise or phone
signals might be affected.
They cost a lot to make and
install
Disturbs bird life
Spoils the natural landscape
Visitors could cause traffic
congestion which disturbs
locals and leads to air
pollution. Many visitors can
spoil the landscape through
dropping litter and footpath
erosion.
Effects Positive?
Social
Economic
Environmental
Maintains traditional way of
life. Does not spoil the
landscape
Provides place for walking
and mountain biking.
Provides jobs in rural areas
where jobs are few and
uses land which is too poor
for anything else. Adds to
scenic beauty of area.
Jobs can be provided when
the dam is being built and
while it is running. A
renewable energy so fossil
fuels are not being used up
and less pollution is caused.
Provides a few jobs in rural
areas. Farmers can still
graze sheep and earn
money from renting land. A
renewable energy so fossil
fuels are not being used up
and less pollution is caused
Locals can use improved
services such as
restaurants. Locals get jobs
so unemployment is
reduced and the local
economy is helped. Other
shops and accommodation
have increased income.
High land areas have higher
rainfall to fill the reservoir.
Deep u-shaped valleys help
store large volumes of
water. Impermeable rock
reduces water loss.