Call for more affordable housing as survey paints 'gloomy picture' of rural life » Housing » 24dash.com

Nearly half of people living in the countryside say they have seen key amenities close in their communities over the last five years –fuelling fears that traditional village life is in terminal decline as families are priced out of rural areas, according to a new poll.

The ICM survey, commissioned by the National Housing Federation, found that 45% of people living in rural areas had seen the number of shops, schools and pubs in their village or market town fall since 2004.

It also found that 62% of rural dwellers believe there is a shortage of affordable housing in their area, and that 66% of those polled would support the building of new affordable homes where they live.

The survey also found that almost half of those in the countryside, 47%, believe that people who oppose all new homes in rural areas are damaging the future of their village or market town.

The wide ranging survey paints a gloomy picture of life in rural England – with one in four, 24%, saying that the sense of community in their village had declined over the same period, while 26% said second home owners have had a negative impact on the place in which they lived.

A sizeable majority – 66% – meanwhile believes the Government cares more about issues affecting people living in urban areas than those in the countryside.

The National Housing Federation, which represents England’s housing associations, said the results of the poll reflected growing fears that many rural communities were now in terminal decline and called on more affordable homes to be built for families to support village life.

A record 650 pubs and 400 shops are due to close in rural areas this year, while village schools continue to disappear from the rural landscape at a rate of one a month.

The Federation said the mass closures reflected a declining demand for services in villages where local families – the core customer base – had been priced out of the area by an influx of wealthy commuters and second home owners.

The number of people on waiting lists for an affordable home in rural England – where house prices are £40,000 higher than urban areas – has rocketed to 750,000. 

The poll found that 52% of people in rural areas thought only people on the very highest incomes could afford to buy a home in their village, although this figure soared to 62% in the South West and South East.

A further 15% said they knew of a family or friend who been priced out of the countryside and had moved away, although this hit 22% in the West Midlands and 21% in the South West.

One in four (24%) thought community life had declined over the last five years in rural communities, but this figure jumped to 47% among 18 to 24 year-olds.

And just 9% thought second homes had a positive impact on their community, with 26% feeling they had a negative impact, while in the South West the figure swelled to 35%.

The Federation is now calling on local authorities in rural areas to draw up action plans to address the housing needs of their communities.

Federation chief executive David Orr said: “This poll reflects the growing fear within many rural communities that traditional village life is in terminal decline.

“People are seeing key local services like shops, pubs and local schools disappear from their village in record numbers as high house prices and a lack of affordable homes forces families and young people out of their communities.

“Second home owners and wealthy newcomers have pushed prices up in many areas, but the real problem fuelling the decline of our villages is the chronic shortage of affordable homes.

“Until local authorities begin to properly assess the true extent of rural housing need, at village level, and draw up action plans to deliver the new homes so desperately needed, there’s a very real danger that traditional village life will disappear.”

ICM interviewed a sample of 1,000 GB adults aged 18+ living in rural areas by telephone between the 6th – 10th November 2009. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.  Further information at www.icmresearch.co.uk