Why 71% Of Wales Lives Below This Line

Today we look into Wales and it's emptiness and the factors that cause it. Such as the population density, the decrease in population of the youth as well as the issues with housing and geographical factors. Hope you enjoy!

[jangomoonstomp]

It's pretty crowded in the north for an "empty" area, they're not giving houses away for peanuts either.
Love Wales ❤

[kynastonp]

It is not helped by the welsh labour goverment spending most of its money in cardiff on jobs, infastructure and housing.

[andrewkent]

This video talks as if Wales being 90% empty is a recent thing, due solely to second homes and outmigration.

Whilst they have an impact today they're not the reason most of it is empty.

The geography plays a part (there isn't that much flat, easily farmed land) but the main reason is land ownership.
Like with Scotland, both England and Wales went through a clearance that forced rural folk into towns and cities - the enclosures. Only it was earlier so mostly got forgotten from folk memory. Go back 300 years in anyone's genealogy in the UK and you'll find farmers connected to a specific village.
Land ownership became heavily concentrated amongst the few and with the geography in Wales no big towns or cities developed in the middle of the country.

Wales isn't 90% empty because people leave. People do leave, but not in droves as the video suggests.
Wales is largely empty because the most that the majority of folk can aspire to it to own their own home and not a great lot more. Where are the homes? Where the houses exist and are getting built - where towns already exist - South Wales and along the coast in the north.
Unless someone starts building new towns in the centre of Wales (Powys) it will remain that way. But nobody will because it wouldn't make much sense (far away from existing urban areas and infrastructure, opposition from local landowners / homeowners).

Second homes play a part but it's a much more recent phenomenon. They didn't cause Wales to be empty in the first place - second home buyers sought out these places because they were already empty and rural.

What can Wales do about it? Idk, investigate whether big estates acquired their grounds legitimately in the first place. Community projects to buy areas as has been done in Scotland or compulsory purchase done areas?

Wales being 90% empty isn't necessarily a bad thing though, it has less urban sprawl and a small population.
Maybe it could dig into the figure a little bit to make housing easier to obtain for locals, but 90% of the country being farmland and nature isn't a bad use of the land really.

[petermostyneccleston]

I was born, and grew up in Colwyn Bay. I moved close to Reading when I was 20, and felt that I was only able to work, because I was living in the area that I was in.

I moved back to Colwyn Bay when I was 40, as I was made Redundant, and living in a tied cottage at the time. I have bought somewhere to live, but have spent every minute wishing that I had stayed close to Reading.

Most of the people I was in school with, left Wales before I had, I am now in my 50's, and there are not many people my own age around here. I have spent all of the time that I have been here, feeling that this is the worst move that I have made and wishing that I had not come back. All of the work that I see advertised is in the South East.

[rontheretiredone]

It's always raining, the political leadership is poor, all the industry has been shut down, and the winter lasts for six miserable months. That's why nobody wants to live there in a nutshell, even though it is clean and has beautiful scenery! Sorted.

[tommcmanamon]

The Welsh leave and go to work in England. The English retire and take holidays in Wales.

[colin]

It’s just a result of UK politics, no long term thinking to unite the country by infrastructure that would spread wealth and opportunity, just perpetual short term plans that appeal to population centres. The divide will only increase with more people migrating away, maybe voting reform could allow longer term thinking in politics and a proper joining up of the UK.

[trailingarm]

Good film, mostly accurate. Depopulation of rural areas affects much of Europe, not just Wales. Obviously, education, social networks and jobs are more prolific in the cities so many young people head there. Some return in their 30s with young families, keen for the kids to grow up without city pressures. The second-home thing needs addressing right across Europe. Pembrokeshire council is going the right way by tripling its council tax for such properties. Air bnb landlords need a lot more scrutiny for taxable income too. There is a fair population density on the North Wales coast: as you pointed out, the small county of Flintshire has 155, 000 residents - that's more than Newport or Swansea. Wrexham is the size of Newport and has large industrial estates plus decent access to the jobs markets in Deeside, Chester, Liverpool, Warrington and Manchester. Mid-Wales is really empty due to a dearth of well-paid jobs, questionable health services and poor shopping facilities. It's great for sheep though, and for riding your motorbike along empty, beautiful roads.

[kevthedruid]

one or two points you missed out, national parks ! = rediculous planning laws, how much of the "empty space " is taken up by them, funding, wales recieved less funding last year than canary warf ? and road and rail infistructure, all wales's road and rail networks were designed not for commuter transport and linking our towns and citys, but to ferry and ship our mineral rescources to the nearest dock or port to sell them, you still cant catch a train from north wales to south wales directly without having to go into england to this day

[richcymru]

I live in North Wales. It's just not a Welsh thing to live on top of each other 🤷‍♂️ we like green space. I don't want someone living the floor below me, the floor above me, I don't want to look into 10 people's homes when I look out my window.

[spaghettiking]

"As local holidays were the only feasible option for most people."

Relatable.

[squizza]

It's not quite empty. It's peaceful, scenic and there's space for everyone. I feel sorry for people in cities and large towns that, thanks to mass migration of people we know nothing about, have become unfriendly places riddled with crime, that many of us would rather not be anywhere near.

[Titaniumvideosu]

Most of the world is 90% empty. People do not live on every inch of land.

[normansaunders]

Everyone is queuing up at the Severn bridge because of the congestion caused by the 20 mph speed limit.

[mene]

The whole video is literally pointless because it isn't accurate at all

[jennil]

Oooo, my entire community apparently disappeared, according to the title here and the house shortage in mid Wales is a lie because there are thousands standing empty for months? Untrue! Every village and town I know in these parts has 95%+ full, full-time ocupation. The population to land is low because West Wales is good farmland, the North and centre is highland riddled with underground streams in the valleys in berween. Work opportunities are low. My son lives here but travels to England to work.
Incidentally, why not get someone who can actually pronounce the names of towns and villages to do the voice over???

[WildlifeMattersUK]

Population density in Wales has little to do with the availability of housing. South Wales had vast coal fields and iron works along with several large ports that attracted workers from all over the country and beyond. There is little industry in the north save the slate mines.

[davewolfy]

Many commenters dislike this video because it uses facts.
Oh dear.

[captnaberystwyth]

I live in that "empty space".. It ain't empty.

[bigglestornado]

Live with it!! I had to leave my home town in Devon (England) for work. I now (have to) live in Wales because properties are