Lack of homes threatens future of countryside
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The future of the countryside is in jeopardy because young people are being forced out by a lack of affordable housing, the government’s rural advisor has warned.
In a his annual report to the prime minister, the government’s rural advocate Dr Stuart Burgess says there is an urgent need for more affordable rural housing.
He says young people have to leave rural areas to find homes, jobs and support, putting the long-term future of the countryside in doubt.
The Rural advocate report 2010 calls on local authorities to review their assessments of land that is available for housing to take better account of rural needs, and adopt a more flexible approach to planning.
It says social housing accounts for only 13 per cent of stock in rural areas, compared with 22 per cent in urban settings, and between 2006 and 2031 demand for rural homes will grow by 35 per cent.
Dr Burgess said: ‘Wherever I go, I hear deep concerns − that challenges with housing, work, transport, training and social exclusion are preventing young people from living in the countryside.
‘Without young people to provide a work force, rural economies are unable to fulfil their full potential and rural communities can go into a decline.’
Dr Burgess is an independent advocate for rural areas, and was appointed by the prime minister in 2004. He also chairs the Commission for Rural Communities.
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Readers' comments (1)
Mallory | 05/03/2010 10:33 am
On the 3rd March 2010 Cornwall Council's Planning Committee refused a planning application for 40 affordable homes being a mix of Rent and Home Buy for a large village on the outskirts of St Ives. The application had been recommended for approval twice, but the Committee comprising of a high level of Conservative Members had other priorities. Their priorities were not the local people who are homeless, or living in expensive unsecure accommodation. Their priorities were their white middle class, retired, bungalow residing nimbies, many of whom move to Cornwall to retire or only use it as a holiday home. So is this the Conservative's Brave New World? Their actions has resulted in over £2M of grant funding being taken away from that area of Cornwall. The development would have created local jobs for construction workers in an area of low pay and high unemployment for about 18 months, as well as creating homes for local people within that rural community keeping it alive. Thanks very much David Cameron your boys and girls did good!
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