BA2 Blog Task – My Urban Environment

My Urban Area – Directed Study Task

Urban populations account for 82% of the UK total and the populations are still growing so much so that since 1984 there has been an increase of 18.7%. Our urban area impacts our physical environment on a daily basis and also supports human growth through physical, social and skill development. It provides lifelong care and resources and enables us to interact with nature.

I live in a small village called Gatehead which is situated in the outskirts of Kilmarnock. The village is very small and does not have many things in it other than lovely little cottages, one pub/restaurant, a play park and a community centre. Most of Gatehead is surrounded by rolling green fields and plenty of farms and farm animals.

Most of the houses in Gatehead have been standing for many many years. The majority are bungalows and cottage however there are more recently renovated council houses that are situated further into the village. I live on the Main Road of Gatehead in a renovated barn. My parents bought the little barn and additional land surrounding it and converted it into a house before doubling the cottage in size after building an extension. As you drive out of the village, there is one turning which leads you into Milton View which is where some council houses are situated along with more cottages. In this area, there is a small play park and large grassy area which sits next to the local community centre. At the top of the road just along from my house is where our lovely pub/restaurant called The Cochrane Inn sits. The restaurant is owned by the ever well known Mr. Bill Costley and is extremely popular among the locals of the village and also many passers-by. The Cochrane is also where I work as a waitress which is extremely close by therefore I can simply walk to work.

Gatehead is mostly a farming village and as you turn off onto the little single track roads there are vast green fields that flow on and on as far as the eye can see. Many farms have dairy cows and there are sheep too. There are lots of green spaces in my village and also surrounding it and this something that I have grown up with which I have been very grateful for. At night, it is quiet as there is little traffic passing which is something I would not have if I lived closer to the town. As an owner of two dogs, the landscape is perfect for long walks through the country side, up and down big hills, along the rivers and the disused railway line while passing fellow dog walkers. Again, there is little noise or disruption from traffic other than the odd tractor rumbling along the road.

Transport in Gatehead can be an issue if you do not drive or have a car. Although there are buses that pass through and can take you into the town centre of Kilmarnock, or Glasgow or Troon, they are not very frequent so if you miss one you may have to wait another hour or so before another one arrives due to Gatehead being removed off of the route of one of the service buses. On a sunny day, it is a lovely walk in to Kilmarnock and may only take around 30 minutes. With the village of Crosshouse being around a 15 minute walk/2 minute drive away, this is a better option if you are in need of the morning paper or some fresh rolls. The transport to and from does not appear to cause any issues as it is regular enough and if there are no buses then it is very easy to call a taxi.

In our community space in Gatehead, the only thing we have is the local community centre. Many years ago, the community centre was used more frequently as it is today. It is very rare that there is an event on unless it is time to vote then that is used as our polling station but other than that there is never any community events. With Crosshouse being our neighbouring village and only a short drive/walk away, we still have access to a local library and there is a primary school located there too. Gatehead is simply not big enough to host those within our community space.

For Gatehead being such a small village, we have a variety of different industries and work. Mostly, the working industry in the village is agricultural and manufacturing. Just along from the village there is a large industrial estate at Moorfield which is home to several different manufacturers including DHL, DM Roofing, McCallum’s Bagpipes and many more. Unfortunately there is no retail or even food shops in Gatehead as we do not have a big enough population for a shop to survive. On two occasions there has been a convenience store opened but the earnings were not enough to stay open and they both closed. With The Cochrane Inn being so popular, they are always looking for bar staff, waitresses and chefs which again adds to the different lines of work available. We also have a car sales garage called Lang Brothers which has been owned by Mr. Lang for several years and is a family run business. Furthermore, there is a small vehicle servicing garage which fits in perfectly with Mr. Lang’s business.

Unfortunately Gatehead does not have any recreational spaces such as a sport/health centre as it is a small drive through village. However we can easily access many different recreational areas within a short drive to either Kilmarnock, Crosshouse or even Dundonald.

Peri-urban areas (also called rurban space, outskirts or the hinterland) are defined by the structure resulting from the process of peri-urbanisation. It can be described as the landscape interface between town and country, or also as the rural—urban transition zone where urban and rural uses mix and often clash. It can thus be viewed as a landscape type in its own right, one forged from an interaction of urban and rural land use. Gatehead has not been affected by this in any great deal as the rural space between our rural areas and the towns has not changed much in the whole time I have lived here. All of the farm land, roadside hedges and bushes are always well maintained and looked after.

Scotland has the lowest population density at 68 people per sq km. However, there are huge variations across each country. In East Ayrshire, where Gatehead is situated, there is a population density of 97 people per square kilometer which reinforces that this is quite a low population density however still slightly higher than the average in Scotland.

After studying the air pollution levels within the area, Gatehead has a level 3 of air pollution which is a low rating.

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