Remote can mean isolated and disconnected as much as faraway and distant. Plenty of the UK is remote in that sense. I work in a part of Surrey where, despite there being frequent trains to London, the actual town and surrounding area is very hard to get around without a car (and the public transport options there are are significantly less frequent than trains away from the place).

Infrastructure is as much a factor as proximity I'd say.

This is true and my experience is the UK has terrible infrastructure and cars are necessary so I agree.