TITLE: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE

LINK BETWEEN BOREHAMWOOD’S

DEVELOPMENT AS A COMMUTER
SETTLEMENT AND
BOREHAMWOOD’S
HOMOGENISATION.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Within this investigation, a commuter settlement refers to a town in which a large proportion
of the population travels outside the local area for the purpose of employment. Whilst we can
define homogenisation as the erosion of local cultures creating a place very similar to other
‘clone towns’[1]. This investigation will focus on the extent at which Borehamwood’s evolution
into becoming a commuter settlement has contributed to its homogenisation, by using data
collected from fieldwork and secondary resources. It looks at the extent at which
Borehamwood can be classified as a commuter settlement, how homogenised is
Borehamwood as a town and how has Borehamwood changed over time in relation to its
homogenisation. From carrying out the enquiry to answer this investigation it was concluded
that Borehamwood’s role as a commuter settlement is a key factor in its homogenisation
however the process can be seen as a natural evolution rather than an interrupting force that
has completely changed the identity of the town.

1
CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION 3-7

METHODOLOGY 8-9

SUB QUESTION 1: DATA ANALYSIS 10-12

AND PRESENTATION

SUB QUESTION 1: DATA ANALYSIS 12-15

AND PRESENTATION

SUB QUESTION 1: DATA ANALYSIS 16-18

AND PRESENTATION

CONCLUSION 19-20

EVALUATION 21

BIBLIOGRAPHY 21-23

2
INTRODUCTION:

Title: An investigation into the link between Borehamwood’s development as a

commuter settlement and Borehamwood’s homogenisation.

3 Sub questions will be used to investigate the overall aim:

1. To what extent can Borehamwood be classified as a commuter settlement?

2. How homogenised is Borehamwood as a town?
3. How has Borehamwood changed over time in relation to its homogenisation?

Hypothesis:

American Novelist James Kunstler has emphasised that because of urban sprawl and
suburban life growing in green field sites almost identically ‘every place is like no place
particular’ [1]. The process in which towns and villages close to the influence of large cities
lose their individual cultural definitions as it erodes to produce identical cultures between
similar towns and villages under the influence of that city. This begins to form the basis of
the idea of clone towns - a town whose major shopping areas are dominated by chain stores
at the expense of local diversity [2]. This alongside other quantitative measurements such as
living standards such as income and qualitative data such as identity and linkages outside of
the town create what is homogenisation. This idea can be true for Borehamwood.
Borehamwood being a town on the outskirts of London, once the centre of an empire and
now one of the most diverse multicultural cities in the UK, has historically been separate
from London when looking at its physical location, even to this day being in Hertfordshire.
However, as of today Borehamwood boasts multiple global brands on its high street and a
railway station linking it to London Kings Cross. Thus, based on these factors, I hypothesis
that as a result of easy access to London, Borehamwood has developed into a commuter
settlement and as a result has seen its culture and identity combined with London’s therefore
causing Borehamwood’s homogenisation to occur.

Theoretical Context:

Link to the specification:

This aim links to the 3.2.1 Changing Places of the specification, under the section Factors
contributing to the character of places – Exogenous: relationships with other places. This
area of the specification explores how place is affected by external factors and the changes
and possible integrations with other places that occur as a result. I will investigate the idea of
how people travelling and commuting especially into London will cause this effect on a place
as Borehamwood. This will come from the perspective of someone who for all their life has
lived within the local area of Borehamwood and has seen it very largely homogenised. As
Alexis de Tocqueville stated in the 1830’s that ‘variety is disappearing [from] the human
race,’ [3] it will be fascinating in my research and discovery of Borehamwood to try
understand the full extent of why this phenomenon has occurred. Finally, my question will
link very closely with the Global Systems and Global Governance unit in particularly 3.2.1.1
Globalisation as it is the spreading of new ideas and information that has allowed towns
such as Borehamwood to develop the way that they have done, and also the influence TNCs
in the areas due to global brands being able to spread as the world becomes more
connected.

3
Rationale Behind my Investigation:

Sub Question 1: To what extent can Borehamwood be classified as a commuter

settlement?

In this study I will define what it means to be a commuter and what proportion of
Borehamwood would consider themselves commuters. This will be assessed using external
definitions as well as qualitative and quantitative data, however as I cannot focus on
opportunity sampling as I would have hoped due to COVID-19 there will be an importance
on secondary data. This will be done to assess the proportion of Borehamwood’s that
consider themselves commuters and where they travel so that we can then look for
underlying links to external places to help see and possibly measure homogenisation. It is
also important to consider if we ask the public if they consider themselves commuters their
own perception of the definition of commuter may be different.

Before assessing if Borehamwood is a commuter settlement, I must look at where residents

work and if they themselves are commuters, which I will do with the use of a questionnaire.
In addition, I will consider the view of newspapers and industries as to whether
Borehamwood can be considered a commuter settlement. I must also consider the
percentage of the population who is able to/does work. This will allow me to consider what
percentage of residents are travelling out of Borehamwood on a regular basis therefore
being exposed to cultural staples of homogenisation. As can be seen from the graph below
the largest demographic bulge is between 25-50yr olds which would make us assume the
majority of the population is able to work. Also, if we allow working age to be 18-70 years of
ages, we can see 61% of the population fall within this category. In addition, 25.9% of these
residents are under the age of 18 which may mean as we look towards the future, they may
become part of this commuter population within Borehamwood [4].

Hertsmere Borough Council. (2012). Elstree and Borehamwood Summary. Available:

https://www5.hertsmere.gov.uk/democracy/documents/s31675/20140618AR07%20SocialElstreeBorehamwood.pdf. Last
accessed 21 November 2020.

4
Sub Question 2: How homogenised is Borehamwood as a town?

I am researching the extent at which Borehamwood is homogenised as it will help me

answer the fundamental question of why homogenisation has occurred. There is no
quantitative scale measuring extent of homogenisation from isolation to complete
homogenisation, however we can attempt to categorise the extent of Borehamwood’s
homogenisation through qualitative data. We can define qualitative data as that which is
non-numerical [5] (and therefore quantitative data as that which has numerical values). By
using qualitative data such as land use surveys e.g., TNC impacts on the Highstreet or price
of living, we can compare this as well as other social factors with a similar area in London’s
influence. If the data shows a similarity in ideas that relate to homogenisation, i.e., similarity
in house prices, then it aligns with my theory that Borehamwood is in some stage of
homogenisation. In addition, to link my claims from Sub-Question 1 if the town compared to
also has characteristics of a commuter settlement it will allow me to make the claim that
commuting helps the process of homogenisation occur. This sub question allows me to
explore the structure of modern Borehamwood as well as compare it to other areas that may
be going through similar processes.

Example of Borehamwood Homogenisation, Credit: Google Maps, Google Street View

Sub Question 3: How has Borehamwood changed over time in relation to its
homogenisation?

For this question it is something that is very much based on perception again of what
homogenisation means and is based in very qualitative data. However, we can look at the
contrast of the influence of TNCs and transport over time in order to create a comparison.
With this a comparison of impact of TNCs and volume of TNCs over time can be made, and
if an increase of TNCs is found it can show Exogenous factors grasp of influence growing
over time. In addition, I could use records of previous map data to see the signs of when
commuting to London increased and the change in average salary over time as this would
allow to explore the social aspects of homogenisation. This sub question allows me to
explore the correlation between increased commuting and homogenisation, which will allow

5
me to get to the root of the main question to see if there is a clear-cut link between the two
processes.

Borehamwood 1957. Postcard of The Broadway,

Debden, Loughton (c. 1960). Debden is nowadays
understood to be the location of ‘Greenleigh’ in
Michael Young and Peter Willmott’s classic
ethnography, Family and Kinship in East
London (1957). Credit:
https://uclsstc.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/you-cant-
download-a-tattooo/

Borehamwood 2020. Credit: Google Maps, Google Street View

Location and Context:

All the fieldwork will take

place within Borehamwood,
a town in Hertsmere, south N
of Hertfordshire bordering
London. It is extremely
accessible being close to our
school and having abundant
infrastructure in road, bus
routes and a train station. In
addition, there is a library
with a website, which can
make it easy to access
historical records. The
combination of these
elements makes it suitable to
carry out coursework. During

6
 my fieldwork I will carry out extensive primary data which will be combined with researched
secondary data.

Borehamwood (including Elstree, Aldenham, Letchmore Heath and Radlett), Credit: James Barber, Claire Tiffany, David Conrad and
Miranda Sutters. (2016). Hertfordshire Public Health Profile Borehamwood and Hertsmere Health Needs Assessment FINAL DRAFT.
Available:Health and Safety Assessment:
https://www.hertshealthevidence.org/documents/thematic/hna-borehamwoodhertsmere-briefing-2016-10.pdf. Last accessed
15 December 2020.

Risk Associated Control Measures

Risk of injury during fieldwork - Make sure that those carrying out
investigation are careful when near a
road
- Watch out for hazards in more
populated areas (Highstreet) e.g.,
tripping hazards
Risk of COVID-19 - Ensure social distancing when
possible
- Carry out investigation in small
groups with people in year group
bubble
- Try avoiding face to face contact
with people in the public when
surveying them (e.g., do online)
Causing offence to other people - Be considerate of others in areas not
staying too long in one place e.g.
because of others Covid fears

Ethical Considerations Before Carrying Out Investigation:

The main ethical issue that needs to be made aware in this investigation will be keeping
within government laws of the COVID-19 lockdowns. This means it would be wrong to use
face to face opportunity sampling or interviewing people face to face. This means that there
will be a shift to more online surveys and virtual interviews. When doing online surveys if we
ask more personal details like salary then it is important to keep the information anonymous
and confidential which can be achieved by not asking for names in the first place. Also, when
taking pictures of the environment it is important that we do not include people without their
consent, in addition to asking their permission for their data to be used in our questionnaires.
Finally, if we create any rubbish, we should dispose of it sensibly and responsibly putting it in
the correct bins and recycling when possible. In addition, although not too personal in my
questionnaire about where people work, I have asked questions about their commute and
the general area where they work, therefore it is important to allow people to opt out of their
answers being used in my survey.

Of course, in an ideal world we would use random stratified data or even a census to get the
clearest picture but due to many factors such as COVID-19, time restraints and peoples own
willingness to take part we have to settle for this opportunity sampling

7
Technique Justification When, Location and Sampling Description of Method Li
METHODOLOGY:
Primary Data: A Questionnaires give me the capability to This questionnaire will be made live This opportunity sampling Th
virtual collect large amounts of data in a quick so people can access it from the 27th will occur by me walking to
questionnaire for amount of time. In addition, as it will be November and will remain live for a along Borehamwood w
the first sub accessible on the Highstreet over the week. It will be carried out by people Highstreet and choosing q
section, asking weekend (being a virtual one) it should accessing it with a QR code and stores which have large o
people about give a broad indication of where people which will be placed along different amounts of people going re
where they work work as it won’t be limited to people that points of the high street. into, e.g., a supermarket. an
and if they work part time (if it was a live Here I will ask the shop d
This is a form of opportunity
consider it a questionnaire done in person). As well as owners or store p
sampling as the QR codes will be
commute. In this it will allow me to consider induvial managers if I can put a n
placed where I am allowed to place
addition, in this commuters views on whether or not QR code link to my al
them (e.g., if a shop allows me to
virtual their journeys are commutes or not. This questionnaire in their th
place it in their window) and also its
questionnaire will add a layer of reality to it as I will use store. Hopefully I will be
dependant on people choosing to fill A
there will be this when considering what is categorised able to get 5-6 stores to
in my questionnaire. I originally al
aspects of my 2nd as a commute and the extent to which agree and then it very
would have intended to do this an
sub question Borehamwood is a commuter settlement, much relies on people
alongside systematic sampling where ex
opposed to just using fixed definitions wanting to and taking the
I would ask every nth number of so
and pre-created statistics (although this time to fill it in.
people, I see on the Highstreet this th
will be used alongside my questionnaire).
questionnaire, however due to o
If there aren’t enough results to make a
COVID-19 restrictions and peoples
clear assumption, I will also use census O
hesitant to spend time near people
data to find results. u
outside of bubbles in any
ce
In addition, there will be aspects of sub environment this had to be changed
to
question 2 within it as I will ask about to just a virtual questionnaire.
re
global brands people see when at work
ta
to see if there is a correlation between
o
the global brands there and the global
d
brands in Borehamwood.
re

8
Technique Justification
Primary Data: By taking record of shops on the
Land use survey, Highstreet I can look at the penetration of
researching the TNCs within Borehamwood to use of
shops on evidence of its homogenisation. In
Borehamwood addition, it will help me answer my third
Highstreet as of sub question as it allows me to compare
2020 the current Highstreet shops to those of
the past to see the contrast in TNCs
impact and to an extent the
homogenisation of Borehamwood.
Secondary Data: Very similar to the previous justification
Land use survey this will be used to map parts of google
Google maps. maps that weren’t covered during the
primary data land use survey but also to
map secondary locations such as Edgware
Highstreet for reference.
Secondary Data: In order to back the evidence of my
Websites and primary data I will have to use websites to
Journals find statistics and especially for Sub-
question 3 I will need photos as historical
evidence
9
When, Location and Sampling
I will be executing this on the 27th
November 2020 down the main
Borehamwood Highstreet (Shenley
Road). This alongside other indicators
for homogenisation such as average
salary of Borehamwood residents will
help me answer sub question 2 and a
comparison with previous shops using
local data will help me see the
contrast in homogenisation to answer
sub question 3.
This will be conducted throughout the
writing of this coursework between
October and December 2020 in order
to find out the homogenisation of
Borehamwood by comparison to
other locations
This will be conducted throughout the
writing of this coursework between
October and December 2020 in order
to find out the homogenisation of
Borehamwood by comparison to
other locations
Description of Method
I will walk down the
Highstreet and record the
shops on the Highstreet.
From this I will categorise
them into chain and
independent stores as an
indicator of globalisation
and homogenisation in
Borehamwood (as chains
would be exogenous). If I
cannot complete this land
use survey, I will record it
using a virtual mapping
software such as google
maps.
Instead of walking I will
look at google maps street
view in order to find the
types of shops on
Borehamwood Highstreet
and secondary Highstreets
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS:

1. To what extent can Borehamwood be classified as a commuter settlement?

A commuter settlement refers to a town in which a large proportion of the population travels
outside the local area for the purpose of employment.

We can infer this statement from the Collins Dictionary [1] definition of a commuter settlement.
To evaluate if Borehamwood can be considered a commuter settlement, I will use a mixture
of primary and secondary data. It is also important to consider that peoples own
classification of whether they are a commuter plays a role in defining a towns status.

Article written by ‘Squires Estates’ on whether Borehamwood or Finchley is better for

Commuters.[2]

As shown above although the data is over a year old much of the reasons still stand for the
appeal of Borehamwood being a place for commuters to live such as it being ‘only 25
minutes from King’s Cross St Pancras by train’ and ‘close to the A1,’ a key road into central
London. In addition, the mere fact that the word ‘commuters’ is the focus of the articles
allows us to see the markets perception of Borehamwood, as Squires is a local estate agent,
is that of a commuter settlement, only emphasised by the fact it is being compared to
Finchley, a town considered to be a part of Greater London already.

As this is from the perspective of an estate agent it is important to consider that their main
goal is trying to sell homes in both regions, however the article mentions how
Borehamwood’s housing is ‘noticeably more affordable than North London,’ which is a key
aspect of commuter settlements as the main drive towards commuting is cheaper living
conditions with the main one being house prices.

Article written by ‘HertsLive’ on the best Hertfordshire towns to live in for London commuters.
[3]

Within this article is listed 14 ideal places that someone can live within Hertfordshire in
relation to a commute to London. Similarly, to the last source it focuses on transport links
and house price stating that the average cost of a home is ‘£501,776.’ It is interesting to note
the article was written in May 2020 so it may take into consideration COVID-19 as it

10
emphasises a short commute from outside of London whilst house prices are lower than the
London average (as we know from the previous source [2]). This is important as it shows
characteristics of a settlement that appeals to people more than ever (shorter commute as
less time on public transport) so may influence the future demographics of the working
population of Borehamwood.

The only flaw with this type of article is it is a very simplified article as to be easy reading so
although it says some important statistics, they may not show the full picture.

Below is a distribution of where people that live within Borehamwood work divided into
whether they live in London or not, then further divided into regions of London. This was part
of my questionnaire that I conducted to understand the extent of which Borehamwood was a
commuter settlement.

What region do you travel to for work?

90

80
Do you work in London?
To 70
begin
60
my
50

40

30

20

10

0
Central London Greater Lo... Outside Lo...

Yes No
investigation, I wanted to find out how many people
work within London as it is the largest city to
Borehamwood, being less than an hour’s drive to the city centre. As shown by the pie chart a
majority 61% of people that decided to fill in my online questionnaire (and gave consent for
its use in my fieldwork) work within London which would immediately suggest that
Borehamwood is a commuter settlement as this aligns with our definition. However, when
dividing these locations to Central and Greater London this answer becomes less clear cut.
We see that of the people that answer an area within London 84 people say they work in
central London and 56 in Greater London, therefore it becomes harder to call all of these
people commuters as they may only travel to regions such as Edgware or Barnet for work,
which is London but is still far from a commute. Yet going with the idea that from this we can
in fact call Borehamwood a commuter town it would correlate to the first news article as
there is already a perception within the housing industry of this categorisation. Another point
made very clear to me is the line between where London starts and begins is very much
fading as 126 people in the pie chart say they work ‘in London’ yet 130 say they work in a
region of London in the bar chart. This difference between the two values is important in
answering this question as this may in fact increase the number of people that consider their
journey a commute as although some may not work in London, they may consider it London

11
and therefore their own perception of the journey into work may appear more like a
commute. This is key in understanding the definition of a commuter settlement as
commuting is not only about physical distance but perception as well, increasing
Borehamwood’s case of being a commuter settlement.
Whilst conducting the investigation I became aware that the questions were rather closed
and maybe should have asked more specifically the boroughs or towns people worked as
this would once again give a fuller picture. The only issue with this though is the ethical one,
being holding personal information about people that may make them feel uncomfortable.
Below is a question from my questionnaire asking if people consider themselves a
commuter.

As seen from the data in the hierarchy chart

on the right it is clear that a majority of people
(132) consider themselves a commuter from
my questionnaire. With this data, it coincides
with the idea of individuals own ideas of
commuting contributing to whether a town is a
commuter settlement. This must therefore
include everyone who works within London but
may also show Borehamwood is not only a
commuter settlement for London but possibly
other towns and cities in Hertfordshire and
further afield.

2. How homogenised is Borehamwood as a town?

The more socioeconomic similarities a town like Borehamwood has with a large city
(London), the more it can be considered homogenised.

To evaluate this statement, I will be looking at the similarities in culture and income within
Borehamwood in comparison to London. This will be completed by using secondary data
discovering the average salaries within greater London and comparing it Borehamwood in
addition to the penetration of TNCs in Borehamwood, as this will tell me how (and if) a more
homogenised culture has flown into Borehamwood.

Choropleth math detailing average salaries in London and a comparison to Hertsmere from
the ‘Office of National Statistics,’ 2019[4]

12
 In this graph boroughs are separated
and are shaded based on the N
average weekly salary per week in
the area. For clarity I have marked
out the London boroughs and
labelled Hertsmere and Greater
London (which encompasses central
London). What is made clear is when
we compare Hertsmere with many
suburban boroughs in London such
as neighbouring Barnet and Harrow
in addition to Greenwich and Sutton
which are South London, they fit into
the same shading bracket between
£511-£563 per week.
An issue that may arise is Hertsmere
is not just Borehamwood may not
show a clear picture, However, this can be solved when looking at the town itself as its
average salary is £519 per week,[5] therefore meaning this is an accurate representation of
Borehamwood. When comparing this with my questionnaire question from Sub-Question 1,
‘what region do you travel for work,’ we can consider a reason for the similarity of salary to
be that people from these regions are travelling to the same area, as many would travel to
Central London for work as it is a centre point between them, and has the largest opportunity
for work, therefore offering similar opportunities in payment for the same profession and
therefore income becomes very similar. In addition, as all of these regions are suburban it
can be argued that they are going to have similar price brackets for housing as they are all
on the outskirts of London (and in Hertsmere’s case outside all together) and therefore
attract buyers of similar incomes.
As seen from Zoopla[6] the average house prices between neighbouring Barnet and
Borehamwood are not only within very similar price points but also what people are paying
for houses are very similar. The similarities in household income and standard of living being
so similar in places quite near to each other must therefore show a link between the
oppurtunities for employment and possible similarities in where people work. This mixing of
people is a defining characteristic of homoginisation and clearly demonstrates how it would
affect Borehamwood.

13
Below is a word cloud from my questionairre about what ‘chain stores’ people see on their
way to work.
In this word cloud the larger the word is the ‘Do you see chain stores near
more frequent it was answered in the question where you work?’
‘Do you see chain stores near where you
work?’ As seen from my questionnaire from
the 207 answers I found a variety of TNCs
people see on their way to work. As we know
from the last sub question the majority of
people travel into central London, so for many
TNC/ chain stores such as McDonalds and
Itsu, which appear large in the word cloud, are
likely to be seen in London (especially a store
like Itsu that isn’t present in Borehamwood) by
the people who answered the questionnaire.
Global brands are a staple factor of
homogenisation as they are reproducible and
can easily penetrate a high street, therefore if
a brand that’s seen in a global city such as
London is popular in a town like
Borehamwood than there will be a good
market for that brand to locate to that town, incentivising homogenisation. Therefore, if
people from Borehamwood are exposed to global brands that will be a catalyst for
homogenisation, so you would need a land use survey of the high street to see the extent of
the homogenisation of Borehamwood.
Below are picture I took during our fieldwork on 27th November 2020 as part of a Land Use
survey of Shenley Road (Borehamwood High street) alongside a map of the Highstreet from
‘Google Maps’ [7] for reference.
As seen from the land use survey we can see there is a large penetration of TNCs on the
Highstreet seeing a global brand such as Café Nero and Subway, the latter being founded in
America, indicates
homogenisation of the N
town. This would also
make sense of the word
cloud as Subway and
Café Nero is quiet a large
word in the cloud. This
could indicate brands
people see in London
moving into a town like
Borehamwood on the
urban rural fringe as
people see it whilst
working in London,
however this may just be
the Subway in
Borehamwood that
people are seeing on their way to work. An argument against Borehamwood being largely
homogenised due to its location is that when you look at the south western side of the high

14
street as seen in the map [7] and the land use survey many local independent restaurants
such as ‘Balagan’ and ‘Pumpernickels.’ This would suggest although much of the Highstreet
is becoming progressively more globalised there is still a core identity held within the
Highstreet in these independent stores.

15
 Land use survey of Shenley Road

3. How has Borehamwood changed over time in relation to its homogenisation?

The larger the influence London and TNCs has had on how a place has changed over time,
the more we can consider it homogenised

To consider the rate at which Borehamwood is becoming homogenised we need to look at

how it has changed as a place, using historical quantitative and qualitative data and statistics
as by looking at the trajectory Borehamwood has been placed on it is easier to consider
where it is now. In addition, it is vital we use another similar location that we can consider
homogenised to see the extent of Borehamwood’s homogenisation in relation to time.

Below is the ‘Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons [8]’ from 1862, first detailing the
introduction of a railway line in Elstree which would become Elstree and Borehamwood
Station when built in 1868.

16
Given the historical context of the time this ‘new line of railway into the metropolis’ would
have acted as an initial catalyst for early stages of homogenisation as it would allow the time
taken into central London to be significantly reduced and therefore more people would
decide to travel into London and be exposed to a more global culture as time went on. In
addition, this would have made the idea of living in what would become the green belt more
viable for a commuter, which would only bring in new people who previously would have
lived more central to London as it was the best opportunity for work. What is interesting to
factor in is when you consider the number of ‘entries and exits, total’ of passengers from
Elstree and Borehamwood station in 2018-19 from the Office of Rail and Road is
‘3,231,026[9].’ If you consider the capacity of trains from the 1860s and the capacity of a rural
station then when making calculated assumptions that would not be possible, therefore it is
quite fathomable that as a result of infrastructure in Borehamwood the population has grown
as it is easier to access a large range of opportunities for employment in London from
Borehamwood whilst conversely benefiting from not being in a fully urban environment.
Equally from this growth it could be stated that the desire/ need to go into London and
elsewhere from Borehamwood has grown and therefore a possible dependence on London
which would suggest a shift to a higher level of homogenisation in comparison to the past.

Below is a picture of Borehamwood High street/ Shenley Road from the 1960s [10] (top) and
present day 2020 (bottom) Shenley Road from google earth in a similar position [11].

When making a comparison of the two pictures the clear difference is the increase in large
scale brands, shops and banks such as the inclusion of a Café Nero and Santander bank
where Timberland was in the photo. What is interesting to note is in the distance of the
photograph from the 1960s is a Woolworth which was on the Highstreet until its closure in
2008[12] alongside a Sainsburys which had lost its place on the Highstreet until its recent
revival where the Crown pub used to be (see pictures below). A trend from this I can gather
is that although chain shops have been a staple of Borehamwood since at least the 1960s,
with that number growing with the inclusion of a large-scale supermarket Tescos in the
1990s [13], it is the number of global restaurants which has increased almost exponentially. A
good example of global brands expanding into Borehamwood, allowing for homogenisation

17
is McDonalds [14]. McDonalds sits where the Red Lion pub used to be and is a prime example
of some form of local identity being taken and replaced with a global brand.

Old Sainsburys on Shenley Road [15] New Sainsburys on Shenley Road from land use survey

Below is a picture of ‘Edgware 208 Station Road (high street) 1966’ [16] (left) and a
screenshot of a map with labelled shops from ‘Google Maps’ of the present [17]

Before comparing it is important to note

that with this, we are comparing a much
smaller area of the 1966 Edgware
Highstreet to the modern one as it is
what is available to us. However, when
looking at the shops we can see
something very similar to what
happened in Borehamwood. Both
places had chain shops such as
Sainsburys, boots and mac fisheries
however it lacked chain restaurants as
seen presently in Nando’s and KFC,
again very similar to Borehamwood.
This therefore may show a change in
culture in general and technology as N
restaurants have become more
commercialised in the 60 years since
and this may show an important factor
in the change of Borehamwood’s
homogenisation as it kept up with
commercial trends that were starting in
London as global brands started here
and expanded outwards. Where
Edgware and Borehamwood differ is
Borehamwood being protected by the
greenbelt and therefore not being a part

18
of London, which may show differences in their homogenisation, as can be seen in the
designs of the shops when comparing the photo of Borehamwood [10] and Edgware [16] from
the 1960s as Edgware’s buildings follow the more traditional London style whereas
Borehamwood’s looks more modern in regions and historic in other places. What will be
interesting is to see the similarities in buildings in the future in the two regions as their
similarities may point to a time when Borehamwood appears, architecturally, very similarly
blurring the lines of London showing a growth in Borehamwood’s integration and possible full
homogenisation into London.

CONCLUSION:

Sub-question 1: To what extent can Borehamwood be classified as a commuter

settlement?
Hypothesis 1: A commuter settlement is a town where the majority of its working
population commutes into work.

I have concluded from my data presentation my hypothesis is correct, as through my primary

and secondary data I believe it is fair to classify Borehamwood as a commuter settlement.
This initially because of the location and proximity to central London Borehamwood is and
therefore is seen by the property market as a ‘commuter settlement,’ the basic idea that this
industry believes to classify Borehamwood as this type of settlement will have a clear impact
and bleed into people’s perceptions when home buying – with the intention of commuting
into London. This is only further justified by the second article I have used to justify my
hypothesis, as although tabloid style it creates the impression that when people generally
define commuter settlements Borehamwood comes to mind as this is written by a journalist.
This is important in defining the hypothesis as when it came to creating the rationale for the
hypothesis there was an emphasis on public perception being a factor in a place being a
commuter settlement, and therefore when someone perceives it as a commuter settlement it
only further justifies the classification. In addition, my primary data forms my confidence in
calling Borehamwood a commuter settlement as 126 people work within Greater London
with the largest proportion working in central London, although a small amount of the full
working population of Borehamwood this makes me feel like there is a perception of many
people that live in Borehamwood working in London, proving my hypothesis as a majority of
people consider themselves a commuter from my data presentation.

Sub-question 2: How homogenised is Borehamwood as a town?

Hypothesis 2: The more socioeconomic similarities a town like Borehamwood has
with a large city (London), the more it can be considered homogenised.

19
I have concluded from my data presentation that my hypothesis is mostly correct, however
my method of getting to these results are very flawed. I have proven my hypothesis is
correct from an economic point of view as residents of Borehamwood appear to be fully
integrated in the economics of London as seen by the similar pay to suburban regions of
greater London alongside similar house prices. However, my way of investigation became
more flawed within my own primary data when asking about what ‘chain stores’ people see
on their way to work as these results could have been misleading as people may mention
shops they see in Borehamwood, not proving anything. To improve this, I think I would only
ask those that travel into London on a daily basis this question as that would show the idea
of people bringing global brands from a global city into Borehamwood. In addition, it can be
argued from looking at shops on the Highstreet it can be argued that Borehamwood isn’t
homogenised from a multicultural point of view as there is a large concentration of Kosher
restaurants and TNCs. Therefore, making me question the extent of Borehamwood’s
multicultural homogenisation. Overall, though I found with the use of my land use survey
although Borehamwood can be considered to have a majority of social and economic
homogenisation factors due to large chain stores in the region it has sheltered part of its
identity in independent stores in the region, therefore still basing part of its identity in
endogenous factors. Yet if I were to continue my investigation would research the
importance of multicultural homogenisation.

Sub-question 3: How has Borehamwood changed over time in relation to its

homogenisation?
Hypothesis 3: The larger the influence London and TNCs has had on how a place has
changed over time, the more we can consider it homogenised.
I have concluded from my data presentation that my hypothesis is correct yet believe the
question may not be so much increased influence of London but a natural progression. With
this there has been a clear increase of the influence of London in making it a commuter
settlement as can be seen from the journal from parliament on the creation of the railway line
which has merged the cultures to the extent where the socio-economic factor has become
linked to the extent of what was found in sub-question 2. Yet as seen by the impact TNCs
have had on both Borehamwood Highstreet and a Greater London high street (Edgware)
there is a clear trend that they have both followed in initially having ‘chain’ shops such as
Sainsburys and very much a lot of independent stores and as time has progressed there has
been an increase in ‘chain’ restaurants. Therefore, as there has been a clear increase of
TNC influence on the Highstreet it has followed an economic pattern seen in London as fast
food has become more common and chain restaurants have grown in popularity, and as that
is something that has been witnessed at an almost identical rate as suburban London as
seen by Edgware it could be said the only thing stopping Borehamwood’s full integration into
London is the greenbelt stopping it look architecturally similar.
Overall Conclusion: Based on my initial hypothesis that Borehamwood’s role of being
a commuter settlement contributed to its homogenisation.
Based on my investigation, I have concluded my hypothesis is overall correct however my
research methods and initial questions have led me to further questions which would have to

20
be investigated in order to create a more solid answer to this investigation. It is clear from my
research that a large contributor to London’s increased influence was technology and
transport that allowed them to become metaphorically closer in the way that more people
could travel between the two, therefore knowledge and ideas could easily flow between the
two places London gained a grip of influence on the region. The fact that Borehamwood is a
commuter settlement therefore has acted as a catalyst to this homogenisation which has
become very natural as it has allowed the influence of ideas to flow as people want the
markets in London closer to home. Equally when we look at this from an economic point of
view it is clear that there is a link in London and Borehamwood’s average wages as many
would commute into the same regions for work, giving people the same opportunities for
wages, which shows in the average house prices in both suburban Greater London and
Borehamwood. In addition, when you Look at this from a historical perspective it can be
argued that Borehamwood’s homogenisation has always existed since the introduction of a
railway station and has evolved with London when it comes to the introduction of ‘chain’/
global brands. These have come to make me ask about how Borehamwood will evolve in the
future in relation to integration into London and the importance of the greenbelt in protecting
Borehamwood from full homogenisation.
I think in addition one of the most towering questions from my investigation is whether
homogenisation is good or bad. Like any investigation my research cannot answer this
question fully and is a topic which is also based on opinion. I believe like anything
homogenisation has its flaws such as the removal of local identity and independent
business; however, homogenisation can be seen as a very natural social process. For a
town such as Borehamwood factors such as proximity to London and development in
technology has allowed this almost organic inclusion into London’s culture that wasn’t forced
and with it there have been benefits as seen with social factors, such as income improved
which is extremely positive. This investigation though has definitely made me question other
aspects of homogenisation such as demographic homogenisation, to see if Borehamwood is
becoming more diverse ethnically as areas in London have become or other forms of
homogenisation such as similarity in building design and town planning.

EVALUATION:
Using primary and secondary data I was able to draw the conclusions I needed for my
investigation to explore the questions I posed and prove or disprove my hypothesis.
However, when looking at my primary data it is important to look at its limitations and
reliability. For example, when doing a questionnaire, it relies heavily on people answering
truthfully and getting a scenario where this form of opportunity and voluntary sampling gives
you a large enough variation of people and different demographics taking place. Although
the likelihood is because of the way it was advertise only a certain demographic with people
in similar demographic categories being the ones completing the questionnaire.
This has especially been the case due to the COVID-19 pandemic as we were not able to
ask people one on one, which may reduce the reliability of people’s answers as well as
people not being able to say their further thoughts as it became quite closed, in addition to
this it has stopped me from conducting larger amounts of primary research. For example, my
plan was to interview someone from the community that has lived in Borehamwood since the
1950s, however without being able to physically do this it was made especially complicated
and was not able to materialise. Finally, another impact of the pandemic is with transport
being reduced and the need to need to reduce movement I was not able to go to a
secondary location to properly compare the two regions. In this case the plan would have

21
been to go to Bournemouth and a suburban London Highstreet such as Edgware and do a
land use survey to compare the extents of homogenisation. Therefore, my reliance on
secondary data had to increase.
Using secondary data, I was able to obtain some of the data I would have been able to in
person through websites such as google maps which could replace a land use survey in
person, yet it makes it less accurate as the street view may not be up to date. However, it
could not replace things such as interviews as I could not ask a journal, or another interview
the specific questions I would have if an interview was possible.
In addition, when looking at secondary data it is important to measure the reliability of it as it
may be outdated or written trying to project an opinion or bias. In order to counteract this, I
tried to find similar articles with the same opinion before using a source in this investigation
to avoid these biases, however I’m sure some still exist within.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Executive Summary:

1. Malcom Skinner, Paul Abbiss, Phil Banks, Helen Fyfe, Ian Whittaker (2016). Hodder
Education,AQA A-Level Geography For A-Level and AS Fourth Edition. 4th Edition. London:
Hodder Education. 340-341.

Introduction:

1. James Howard Kunstler (1993). The Geography of Nowhere. New York: Simon & Schuster.
2. New Economics Foundation. (2004). Definition of Clone Town. Available:
https://www.yourdictionary.com/clone-town. Last accessed 21 November 2020.
3. Mick Yates. (2019). Place and Placelessness. Available: https://www.yatesweb.com/place-
and-placelessness/. Last accessed 21 November 2020.
4. Hertsmere Borough Council. (2012). Elstree and Borehamwood Summary. Available:
https://www5.hertsmere.gov.uk/democracy/documents/s31675/20140618AR07%20SocialElst
reeBorehamwood.pdf. Last accessed 21 November 2020.
5. Wikipedia. (2021). Qualitative research. Available:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research. Last accessed 2 February 2021.

Methodology:

1. Collins English Dictionary. (2020). Definition of 'commuter town'. Available:

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/commuter-town. Last accessed 14th
December 2020.
2. Squires Estates. (2018). Which is best for commuters? Finchley vs Borehamwood. Available:
https://www.squiresestates.co.uk/news/which-is-best-for-commuters-finchley-vs-
borehamwood.html. Last accessed 14 December 2020.

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 3. Alice Cunningham. (2020). The best Hertfordshire towns to live in for London commuters.
Available: https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/best-
hertfordshire-towns-live-london-4122614. Last accessed 14 December 2020.
4. Roger Smith. (2019). Employee earnings in the UK: 2019. Available:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours
/bulletins/annualsurveyofhoursandearnings/2019. Last accessed 15 December 2020.
5. PayScale. (2020). Average Salary in Borehamwood, England: Hertfordshire. Available:
https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Location=Borehamwood-England%3A-
Hertfordshire/Salary. Last accessed 15 December 2020.
6. https://www.zoopla.co.uk
a. Zoopla. (2020). House prices in Borehamwood. Available:
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/borehamwood/. Last accessed 15 December
2020.
b. Zoopla. (2020). House Prices in Harrow. Available: https://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-
prices/browse/harrow. Last accessed 15 December 2020.
7. Google Maps. (2020). Shenley Road. Available:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shenley+Rd,+Borehamwood/@51.6563614,-
0.2750976,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4876167286fb12e1:0x67068f7cf0e3195!8m2!
3d51.6587724!4d-0.2701383. Last accessed 16 December 2020.
8. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (1862). Accounts and Papers of the
House of Commons, Volume 52. London: Great Britain. Parliament. House of
Commons. 22.
9. Office of Road and Rail. (2020). Table 1410 - Passenger entries and exits and interchanges
by station (ods). Available: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-
usage. Last accessed 16 December 2020.
10. Daphny Knott. (2017). SHENLEY ROAD, A gallery of images from Borehamwood library.
Available: https://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/content/herts-history/towns-and-
villages/borehamwood/shenley-road. Last accessed 16 December 2020.
11. Janaki Mahadevan. (2008). End of an era as Woolworths closes. Available:
https://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/news/4008184.end-of-an-era-as-woolworths-closes/.
Last accessed 16 December 2020.
12. Darkest London. (2012). A Tesco Far, Far Away. Available:
https://darkestlondon.com/2012/01/03/a-tesco-far-far-away/. Last accessed 16 December
2020.
13. Darkstar. (2014). Red Lion. Available:
https://www.closedpubs.co.uk/hertfordshire/borehamwood_redlion.html. Last accessed 20
December 2020.
14. Sainsbury Archive. (1980s). Image of exterior of 91-95 Shenley Road, Borehamwood branch.
Available: https://sainsburyarchive.org.uk/catalogue/search/sabra7b295-image-of-exterior-of-
91-95-shenley-road-borehamwood-branch/ref/p563-borehamwood-915-shenley-road-1962-
1989-sainsburys-branch/fbr/true/c/3. Last accessed 16 December 2020.
15. Sainsbury Archive. (1966). General view of road. As well as the Sainsbury's shop at 208
Station Road, the photograph includes Mac Fisheries, Walton, Hazzell & Port Ltd, Gilbert
Reeves, Boots, Lilley & Skinner, and WH Smith & So. Available:
https://www.sainsburyarchive.org.uk/catalogue/search/sabra7e611-image-of-station-road-in-
edgware-with-sainsburys-branch-on-far-right-at-number-208/ref/p557-london-edgware-208-
station-road-1929-1966-sa. Last accessed 16 December 2020.
16. Google Maps. (2020). Station Road, Edgware. Available:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Station+Rd,+Edgware/@51.6140421,-
0.2771628,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487616a4208a6d6b:0x3f2cd7cfd75b1df5!8m2!
3d51.6129362!4d-0.2768678?hl=en-GB. Last accessed 16 December 2020.

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 Land Use Survey
40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Independent Chain

26