Town and city dwellers who look for a better life in the country can play an important role in improving the economic prospects of the English countryside.
Such migrants to the countryside often help rural economies more than the local population, according to new research presented at the International Geographical Union congress in Glasgow.
New research presented to congress shows that rather than being only retirees and commuters using the countryside as a dormitory, they are more economically active than long-term residents and create local jobs.
According to Dr Stockdale of Aberdeen University and Professor Allan Findlay from Dundee University, more and more entrepreneurs, such as graphic designers, mechanics, and even accountants and lawyers, are choosing to migrate to the countryside in order to establish businesses.
This has the knock-on effect of creating an average of 2.4 full-time jobs for every self-employed incomer, typically in the engineering and service sectors, but with little contribution to traditional rural occupations such as agriculture.
However, say the researchers, entrepreneurs are only attracted to rural areas with a higher quality of life. This means that the positive economic effects are unlikely to benefit those areas that are most in need of economic regeneration.
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