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New Report Reveals Rural Poverty
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A new report has revealed that almost 1 million homes in the UK are living in poverty.
The study, done by the government's rural advocate, revealed a gap in country dwellers' lifestyles. While many life comfortably and have prosperous circumstances, the report revealed that life is "not so rosy" for over 928,000 families. With an income of under £16, 492, these households live below the poverty line and could frequently be forced to turn to financial services such as personal loans to manage their finances.
Although ministers have previously said that standards of deprivation are above average for those dwelling in rural areas, a spokesman for the Department for Food and Rural affairs recognised the results of the report, agreeing there were impoverished individuals who live in rural areas. The survey comes just as the Rural Services Network called for action to be taken to better rural life. The Network, consisting of 80 rural local authorities as well as 150 other groups, has demanded that action be taken to ensure a better quality of life for those living in rural England, saying those who live there will not be regarded as second-class citizens.
The department have said they will study the report and its recommendations as well as those of the Rural Services Network, explaining that any ramifications for countryside areas were always considered in governmental policies, and that they were "rural proofed".
One of the report’s recommendations focused on more affordable housing for those living in the country, as well as strengthening the economy of these areas and providing support for community and voluntary work. Dr Stuart Burgess, who heads the Commission for Rural Communities, advocated the promotion of community land trusts, protecting properties from those buying second homes and making sure any homes on the land are affordable for rural workers. In an interview, he told BBC News: "No government, whichever colour of the day, is going to interfere dramatically into the market economy. But what we can do is mitigate the problem."
Ben Bland, a slate miner from Cumbria, told the BBC that people from outside country communities buying land and houses and driving up property prices were a huge problem to locals: "Most of the cottages and houses were built by the miners that worked here in the past and built for them to live in. It's just a pity they are being sold on to outside buyers now and they're only lived in for six months of the year."
Following a large scale consultation of the rural public, the Rural Services Network declared that affordable housing, more training for the younger population and better financial help to provide care and public services for the rural elderly. In areas where many people are forced to use cars to travel anywhere, the report also says that public transport needs to be improved and the closures of local post offices need to be stopped. Keeping small, local schools open and available was also one of the recommendations.
The government was called on to ensure more affordable housing becomes available for those living in rural areas, in addition to a new review of the planning system to make more land available for country homes. However, Tim Bonner of the Countryside Alliance, claimed the government does not listen to the needs of those who live in rural areas, saying: "We're seeing school closures in some rural areas at the moment, and petrol prices and diesel prices can have a really serious impact on people living in marginal rural areas where they have to travel long distances just to get basic services."
"And, of course, the post office closures which are going on as we speak all over the countryside are having a huge impact on people and often their ability to access crucial services," he continued. Graham Biggs, chief officer of the Rural Services Network, said: "The government has consistently not done enough to protect the needs of those living in rural areas and has broken its pledge that nobody should be disadvantaged because of where they live."
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