At Last, A Chance For Real Progress On Affordable Rural Housing

17 May 2006

Countryside campaigners CPRE [1] today (Wednesday) gave their strong support to the key proposals of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission.[2]

‘We’re delighted the Commission has accepted the argument that delivering a significant increase in affordable rural housing can best be done through our current planning system,’ said Tom Oliver, CPRE’s Head of Rural Policy.

‘The misguided voices calling for a building free-for-all have rightly been ignored. That would have been a sure-fire way of stoking up resistance to building the urgently-needed affordable new homes in small towns and villages.’

CPRE wholeheartedly agrees with the Commission’s call for a major increase in public funding for building high quality, well designed rural homes aimed at those who cannot afford soaring market prices – and more funding to support good planning in rural areas. The Commission’s proposed figure of 11,000 more affordable rural homes each year cannot be achieved solely through ‘planning gain’ deals.

We also agree that along with more resources, local councils need to show stronger leadership in using their existing planning powers to secure the right kind of houses in the right place. By doing so, they can avoid the need to cross-subsidise the new affordable homes by a huge increase in the building of market houses in the countryside. Such an increase would be an environmental and social disaster.

Tom Oliver said: ‘We agree with the Commission’s view that second homes in the countryside are having a real effect on house prices and availability for local people in certain areas. The idea of a “local impact tax” is worth exploring.’

And he concluded: ‘Now it’s time for Ruth Kelly and David Miliband, the new Secretaries of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government and Defra, to show leadership in tackling this critical issue for the future of our rural communities.’

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Sir Max Hastings. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen.

2. The Affordable Rural Housing Commission was set up in July 2005 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the (then) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to identify practical ways to improve access to affordable housing for rural people. CPRE’s Policy Director Neil Sinden was one of the commission’s twelve members, acting in an independent capacity. The report is launched on 17 May.

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