The thesis was carried out in collaboration with Cornwall County Council
The thesis provides a deeper understanding of migration flows to high amenity areas using the example of migration to and from Cornwall. Cornwall is a remote, non-metropolitan county which has been experiencing very strong population growth since the 1970s almost solely due to in-migration. There are several aspects of the project that should contribute to an understanding of internal migration in England and Wales.
First, a cohort analysis of migrants brings insights into the migration strategies of in-migrants and out-migrants throughout the period. Using the case of Cornwall allows the examination of migration patterns in a peripheral location where commuting opportunities are limited, and allows comparison with a more accessible rural area, Wiltshire.
Secondly, through the creation of a new area type classification the project helps to explore the environmental dimension of migration. The typology is used to investigate the residential patterns of migrants and non-migrants and to test the hypothesis that environmental preferences are significant in the choice by in-migrants of where to live.
Finally, The research investigates some pressing issues in Cornwall, issues which are relevant also for other non-metropolitan areas, such as the shortage of affordable housing, the detrimental impact of tourism and poor economic development, and their links with migration. The research focuses especially on labour market problems and housing need, due to their policy relevance. Comparisons between the migrant and non-migrant populations provide the basis for estimating the impacts of migration on the restructuring of labour and housing markets in Cornwall.
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)