Case Study - The Eden Project

AQA A-Level Geography - Changing Places

What is the cornwall economy & housing like?

• Holiday homes account for 40% of the property - increase house prices & force young people out

• Primary industries such as quarrying and mining declined dramatically - account for less that 1% of UK employement

• Economy isnt diverse - relies on tourism which is popular due to the wrm climate and coastal scenery

  • Jobs in tourism - low paid and mainly seasonal - cycle of rural deprivation

  • Over 50% young people have left the region looking for better opportunities

Why is there a need for rebranding in cornwall?

• Stop the brain drain

• Attract visitors across all seasons

• Boost investment

What is the Eden Project?

• 2001 development in S.Cornwall in a poor rural area near St Austell

• Consists of 2 large conservatories representing humid tropical and mediterraneas climates

  • Is surrounded by dramatic horticultural landscape

• Build on the side of a former china clay quarry

• Holds 100,000 plants from 5000 species

What are the benefits of the Eden Project on the Cornwall region?

• 6 million visitors in the first 4 years - spent a combined £900m in the local economy

• Provided 600 jobs directly & 5500 indirectly

• reduced unemployment rate by 6%

• attracted tourists in the off season

• ISSUES: poor transport links have caused road congestion & decrease of air quality as a result

Data on the Eden Project

• 750,000 visitors/yr

• one of the top UK tourist destinations

• Job creation (400 full-time staff; 75% previously unemployed) - reduced unemployment by 6%

• All food and drink is locally sourced

• demand for local holiday accomodation had increased - bookings doubled since 2001

What are the advantages of the rebranding?

• Eden project has brough 4000 jobs

• Unemployment decreased by 6%

• Demand for accomodation doubled since 2001

• Food at the eden project is all locally sourced

• Built on a brownfield site

• Brings in over ½ a million tourists/yr

What are the disadvantages of the rebranding?

• traffic has greatly increased due to influx of people and poor transport links - delivery time is delayed

• Build-up of traffic causing more pollution

• Due to traffic build up the value of surrounding houses has decreased

• Most of the people employed are 50+ meaning there are less opportunities for younger people