2	(a)	Canal and river transport were no longer important, so being near to these was no longer an advantage. As the 20th century advanced, railways became less important for bulk transport of goods, so this destroyed another of the area's advantages. Road transport became more important and this area was crowded and probably congested. There was much competition for land from services like shops and offices. In the late 20th century more and more industry closed in the inner city areas. New factories were built on the edge of towns.
	(b)	(i)	The dual carriageway inner ring road to the south and west of the town centre.
		(ii)	It takes traffic in and out of the town centre and improves the environment for shoppers and workers.This reduces congestion in the centre. It also speeds the flow of traffic travelling from one side of town to another. Such development was needed because of the increase in road traffic.

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3	Theale is a good location because:
	•	it is close to the motorway junction, so has easy access to London (the main market for ITC) and the rest of the country via the motorway network
	•	it has easy access to Heathrow airport, via the M4, so can export high cost, low bulk items all over the world. The closeness of the arirport is also convenient for visiting customers and visitors from trans-national corporation (TNC) parent companies
	•	it has a nearby university in Reading (7371) and other major universities nearby (e.g. Oxford and London) to provide skilled workers. The industry may also have links with research institutes nearby such as Bracknell (The Meteorological Office) and Aldermaston (nuclear weapons research). (Note: these are not shown on the map, and you would not be expected to write about them in a real exam OS map exercise, but take this opportunity to learn/ revise these details. They might be useful in an industrial location question.)
	•	it is in an attractive environment, on the edge of the countryside; close to lakes, rivers, woods and golf courses (6572, 6772). This makes it a pleasant area to work, which might help to attract skilled workers.
	•	it is out of town, so has plenty of room for expansion, and the land is probably cheaper than in the centre of Reading. (Note: Theale is outside the boundary of Reading Borough. Rates might be cheaper in the county than they are in the town. If you spotted this, you are an excellent geography student!)
	Most of the points made about Theale also apply to Whitley. However, note that Whitley:
	•	is closer to the town centre. This may have advantages and disadvantages (for example, easier and quicker contacts with the University), but land may be more expensive.
	•	has a lot of flat land around the gravel pits area, which might be good for expansion. (Those of you who know Reading might know that a new industrial site, called Green Park, is being developed on a former gravel pit from summer 2000, and will be ready for building by summer 2001.)
	•	is 7 km closer to London (which is not really very significant) but also 7 km closer to Heathrow (which might be more important as the total distance is only about 30 km from Junction 11).
	•	is more built up, so the environment is perhaps not as attractive as the environment around Theale.

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4	Many of the points listed in Question 3 will apply to this area as well. However, you must note that:
	•	the road has been built ready for development, before any factories are built.
	•	this road has excellent access to the A329(M), and to the M4.
	•	the environment is excellent, with the river and lakes. Is the stretch of water running off from the Thames a planned marina development?
	•	this area has very easy access to the town centre and to Reading University.
	You were not asked to discuss problems with locating in this area - but did you wonder about these? For example:
	•	Could it be a bit noisy, with the main railway line running past?
	•	Is this area on the flood plain, or just above? Even if the factory sites do not flood, might the road get cut off if the Thames floods?

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