Rural areas no place for young people?
‘The lack of mobile phone reception and broadband coverage in rural areas has become the No 1 issue in dissuading young people from staying on in the countryside, the chair of the Commission for Rural Communities has said.’ (Guardian 04.03.10)
Is this happening in East Cleveland?
Is digital technology really the no. 1 reason/issue?
Well in most of East Cleveland the Broadband ain’t too bad, and I don’t think that would in itself be a prime motivating factor. It is going to be the lack of employment and the general rural dullness that fuels the exodus (which is never total), just as it always has. Moving the other way will be others, somewhat older, fleeing the towns.
Now the mobile connection? That’s patchy,depending on the provider and I really think a young person would experience that as intolerable enough to make them move to where there’s a signal. But changing providers is usually an option.
Yes we’ve had broadband here for a long time now, but I’m not sure its potential for the rural economy has been exploited.