Social shifts

These are not waves of new immigrants moving into North Yorkshire from abroad. Rather, the county's new arrivals will, for the most part, be the sons and daughters, the grandsons and granddaughters, of those who have made their roots in this region.

These new generations, born and bred in key urban centres like Bradford and Leeds, will simply be following in the footsteps of so many city dwellers before them – those whose parents worked hard to give them a good foundation in life, and whose consequent professional success allowed them to move out into the desirable towns and villages that are North Yorkshire's hallmark.

That such social mobility, unbounded by ethnic background or colour of skin, is prospering in Yorkshire, is itself

something to celebrate. And if handled correctly by the local authorities, these predicted demographic changes can be hugely positive.

The dangers of a segregated society are self-evident. For years, commentators have warned that parts of our region risk becoming ghettos where people from different races and faiths stay within their own communities, with towns and cities physically divided.

However, the social and geographic mobility predicted over the coming decades has the potential to create true diversity throughout the region – and consequently a stronger, more united Yorkshire.