Migrant workers 'flock to ageing rural towns' » Communities » 24dash.com

The number of migrant workers in rural areas of England has grown by more than 200% in the last three years, according to a report out today.

And an ageing population is now also taking over in country towns and villages.

The Commission for Rural Communities 2007 State Of The Countryside report shows there are now nearly 400,000 fewer young people (aged between 15 and 29) in these districts than just 20 years ago.

This trend is set against a rising rural population overall and has contributed significantly to a rural demographic which is both older and ageing faster than urban areas.

The report also shows:

:: The average rural household spent nearly £480 per week in 2005, £60 per week higher than was paid by the average urban household;

:: That just 44% of households in sparse, isolated rural areas are within easy reach of a GP;

:: A near-doubling of energy crops in the last year;

:: Due to the changing climate there are now nearly 400 vineyards in England and Wales.

Dr Stuart Burgess, chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities and the Government's Rural Advocate, said: "The loss of young people is a real threat to the future diversity and sustainability of rural communities.

"Much more needs to be done to retain young people and provide them with opportunities and incentives to return to their roots if they choose.

"At the other end of the age spectrum, the number of older people in rural areas is increasingly markedly with the net result that the average age is nearly six years higher than in urban areas.

"This is pointing towards a demographic divide between rural and urban areas and is putting a severe strain on the viability of rural services, such as schools, the provision of youth services, healthcare and housing.

"State of the Countryside continues to show that many rural areas still lag behind urban England. Although many rural people enjoy relatively healthy and prosperous lifestyles, there remain some significant ongoing inequities such as over 928,000 households with incomes of less than £16,500.

"In 2007 there were nearly 233,000 people living in "financial services deserts."

"These are areas without a Post Office within 2 kilometres (1.25 miles) or a bank, building society or Cashpoint within 4 km (2.5 miles).

"In terms of the economy, rural England continues to exhibit some inherent strengths.

"In 2005, employment rates were 78% for rural compared with 74% in urban areas. Contributing to this strong economic performance was the fact that between 2002/3 and 2005/6, rural areas experienced over three times the growth rate of migrant workers in comparison to urban areas.

"However the sheer scale and speed of immigration has also put a big strain on rural local authorities, both in their ability to provide services and ensure that new migrants are successfully integrated into their host communities.

"The report also illustrates the increasing pace of change in terms of use of the land in the countryside such as a 3.6 fold increase in wind power capacity over the last three years and the change of land use from food to non-food production.

"In 2007, over 4 million hectares of farmland was under some sort of agri-environment scheme and between 2005 and 2006 the area devoted to oil seed rape as an energy crop nearly doubled.

"In addition, 38% of people now buying farmland in Great Britain are not farmers.

"One issue that has not changed is the lack of affordable housing. This continues to be one of the most serious, if not the most serious, problem facing rural England today.

"The report indicates that although the numbers of new houses in rural areas has risen in recent years, it remains at a lower level than in the late 1990s. In comparison, the number of new houses in urban areas is now almost 17% higher than in the late 90s.

"In terms of the wider picture, the report continues to highlight critical challenges for Government, such as the provision of youth services, changing land use, climate change, affordable housing and the availability of services.

"Overall, the report shows that although rural England has some huge strengths and much to celebrate, big challenges remain."

Minister for Rural Affairs Jonathan Shaw said: "The State of the Countryside 2007 is an important contribution to what I am keen to ensure is an informed, evidence-based and forward-thinking debate on the needs of our rural communities.

"It will also help to raise further the profile of rural issues in policy making and delivery of services across government.

"I am committed to working with the Commission for Rural Communities to achieve a sustainable future for rural people."

Tom Oliver, head of rural policy at the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: "There is a need to help rural communities retain a diverse age and economic structure, but the quality of the countryside is clearly a great economic asset.

"It is a fragile and diminishing resource which the planning system needs to protect form unnecessary and damaging development.

"It would be misguided not to recognise the continuing importance of high quality landscapes and settlements for the future success of the countryside.

"There is no doubt that there is an urgent lack of permanently affordable housing in rural communities, but the countryside is more prosperous than our towns and cities, enjoys higher employment and remains an attractive place to live.

"The statistics set out in The State of the Countryside Report 2007 need careful interpretation.

"There is encouraging news on the increasingly widespread uptake of farming agreements which help look after landscapes, wildlife and access to the countryside, but at the same time our level of food production from farming is falling.

"The expansion of wind power generation is helping to reduce our CO2 emissions in a modest way, but some rural landscapes are threatened by wind farms, new roads and airports as never before.

"The area of English countryside which is truly tranquil is far, far smaller than that which is regarded as rural. We need to ensure that the impact of development does not extend far beyond its immediate footprint, spoiling the countryside for everyone, for miles around.

"The pace of change in the countryside is increasing fast and it will be crucial to ensure that we do not kill the goose that lays the golden egg. The English countryside is one of our nation's greatest assets and squandering it would be very unpopular."

Copyright Press Association 2007

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