ePolitix.com talks to Dr Stuart Burgess, chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC), about the State of the Countryside report
Question: What is the State of the Countryside report?
Dr Stuart Burgess: The State of the Countryside report is one of the main ways the CRC track conditions and changes across rural England. The report helps us fulfil our role as expert advisor on rural issues and helps raise the profile of the needs of rural communities.
This report aims to be a ‘first call’ for those seeking factual information on social, economic and environmental issues in rural areas.
The 10th report has also been used to review key trends that have continued and new ones that have arisen.
Question: Have there been any significant changes to the state of the countryside since last year’s report?
Dr Stuart Burgess: Key new findings for 2008 include:
• Internal migration has slowed in the last two years, and overseas migration has slowed in the last year, following a sharp increase from 2004.
• While rural areas have, on average, better health outcomes (which is related to the higher average incomes of rural areas), there is also a higher incidence of disease (which is related to the older population profile).
• While rural disadvantage is generally found to a lesser extent than in urban areas, the actual volume is not picked up in most area-based analysis, because it is not concentrated in specific geographic areas but dispersed across rural settlements. Our latest analysis seems to show increasing inequality within rural areas.
• Poverty is increasing in rural areas, and more than in urban areas. Over the last year, the percentage of population under the poverty line rose two per cent in rural areas compared to one per cent in urban areas.
Question: Are rural households affected more, or less, by the current economic downturn?
Dr Stuart Burgess: Increases in the cost of fuel has a particular impact for rural areas – both for rural residents (particularly those on lower incomes) and the local economy. Households in rural areas are likely to spend more on motoring than their urban counterparts because of the lack of suitable public transport and the need to travel further to reach essential services.
Question: The report suggests there are financial inequalities between households within rural England. Does more need to be done to ensure all areas have a good level of service provision?
Dr. Stuart Burgess: Decline in services in rural areas continues to concern rural communities. Local services also contribute to the sense of community in rural areas. In each year of the State of the Countryside report we have found there are fewer outlets for many services and poorer accessibility to services for people without cars.
The average age of rural people is getting about three months older every year which will affect the future provision of services. Government policies need to be better at reflecting the social benefits that local services contribute, and the increased cost of providing rural services.
Question: Wages in rural areas are lower than in urban parts of the country and house prices on average are higher. What can be done, therefore, to reduce rural poverty levels?
Dr. Stuart Burgess: While people living in rural areas, on average earn more than those in urban areas, wages for jobs located in rural areas are lower than for urban areas and lowest in the periphery. The difference is explained in part by commuting patterns. Our new report, Rural financial poverty: Priorities for action, updates the priorities for addressing financial poverty in rural England.
Question: With rising fuel prices, what can be done to help to improve the lives of those living in rural areas?
Dr. Stuart Burgess: We support the government's plans to help elderly and vulnerable households pay their fuel bills, potentially through data sharing with energy companies, to ensure that the most vulnerable households pay the cheapest rates for their fuel.
It's important these measures are complemented by additional increases in energy efficiency initiatives, such as Warm Front, that provide suitable remedial measures for vulnerable, fuel-poor people in rural areas, given the varying energy efficiency needs of many rural homes.
Question: Carbon emissions are often higher in rural areas, even though they are less developed, would financial incentives from the government for individual households to become more energy efficient help?
Dr. Stuart Burgess: Rural areas tend to have a higher carbon production rate per person than urban areas, principally higher emissions from heating of homes and car use.
There are other issues such as the lack of a mains gas supply in many remote rural areas and houses can tend to be older and with solid walls leading to a greater escape of heat. Targeted schemes offering free loft insulation for solid walled houses, for example, would help.
Question: A recent report by the Commission for Rural Communities suggested rural communities have the potential to double their economic output. What is preventing these areas from fulfilling their economic potential? Should more businesses be encouraged to start-up in the countryside?
Dr. Stuart Burgess: This year's State of the Countryside report shows that rural economies continue to show inherent strengths - high rates of business start-ups and overall net growth in the number of businesses.
Following last year's flooding and outbreaks of animal diseases, the prime minster asked us to advise on how rural economies could be strengthened.
The report, England's rural areas: steps to release their economic potential, sets out a package of practical proposals to improve support for people and enterprises in the rural business sector to help them realise their potential.
Rural areas host around 30 per cent of England’s businesses. In 2005, these earned at least £325bn. My report suggests unfulfilled potential from rural firms might be around £236bn-£347bn per annum.
Question: What impact has migration had on rural communities according to the report?
Dr. Stuart Burgess: In the last year, we have seen a slowing in overseas migration, following a sharp increase from 2004, and a slowing of internal migration over the past two years.
Migrant workers make a valued contribution to local rural economies and communities. However, there can also be local impacts on rural society. There is evidence that resource allocations from central government to support public services do not reflect the spending pressures caused by an influx of migrant workers in recent years.
We are urging government to review and adjust resource allocations supporting locally-delivered public services to reflect the cost pressures being faced.
Question: Do you have any final comments for ePolitix.com?
Dr. Stuart Burgess: We look forward to continuing to advise government and others so that the needs and circumstances of rural communities are represented more fully and rural people are not disadvantaged by where they live.
