Exodus of young 'threatens' rural life
THE future of the countryside is in "jeopardy" after a decade of Labour government because young people are forced to leave in search of homes and jobs, Gordon Brown's top rural adviser will warn today.
Stuart Burgess, the Prime Minister's rural advocate, will deliver a damning assessment of life in rural communities where a lack of services and affordable homes for young people leaves them with little choice but to leave areas where they grew up.
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In his annual report to the PM, Mr Burgess warns of a "distinct lack of opportunities to develop professional careers locally".
"We need to ensure that the climate is right to attract high quality jobs to rural areas, break the cycle of low aspirations and inspire young people to fulfil their potential and play an active role in our society."
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And in a bleak message to Mr Brown, who has faced accusations of neglect towards rural areas, Mr Burgess warned: "My clear message is that challenges for rural young people need addressing positively and urgently and that failure to act will put the future viability of our rural communities at risk."
The report is especially embarrassing for the Government because it echoes an almost identical plea made shortly after Mr Brown became Prime Minister in 2007. At that time Mr Burgess warned: "Without young people, our beloved rural communities will die."
Weeks later Mr Brown vowed in his first party conference speech as Labour leader: "In order to be the country we should be, Britain must protect and cherish not just our cities, but our countryside too."
But in today's report, Mr Burgess, chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities, said young people still have "deep concerns" about housing, work, transport, training and social exclusion. Such issues prevent them living in the countryside.
"Without young people to provide a work force, rural economies are unable to fulfil their full potential and rural communities can go into a decline," said Mr Burgess.
"On top of this, lack of broadband and mobile phone coverage in many rural areas is hitting young people and businesses alike – be it through recruitment and employment, better access to learning and support services or enjoying the connectivity that has become an everyday feature of urban youth culture, such as joining a social network or getting Internet help with homework."
Last night it was claimed Exmoor is a "classic example" of the threat posed by an exodus of the young.
Conservative MP Ian Liddell- Grainger said: "Many of us in rural constituencies have been warning of this for a very long time.
"Exmoor is a classic case in point. House prices are among the highest in the South West and wage levels among the lowest. The local community college hasn't got the resources it needs to offer a full range of post-16 education so students move on to colleges in Taunton and Bridgwater – and they don't come back."
Mr Liddell-Grainger blamed mere "token gestures" to provide low-cost housing.
A Downing Street spokesman said the Government will "look carefully at the points raised".
"We will continue to work with the commission to ensure we do all we can to understand and address the needs of those living in rural areas, especially those of the younger generation, who are so crucial to building Britain's future," he said.
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by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, March 05 2010, 1:53PM
“:( Ok, that's 1 to you Tim; but you are still over 300 behind. . .
:) Have you still got your Hands UP by the way??!”
by TimV, Pz
Friday, March 05 2010, 12:35PM
“"Paul Foot was once described as "The Leftest of the Left Feet" but was Michael the Rightest?" Of course I meant in an ETHICAL way Charles!!!! Sorry if it was a bit too obscure for you. LOL”
by TimV, Pz
Friday, March 05 2010, 12:28PM
“Must be the the london badgers then charles?”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, March 05 2010, 10:49AM
“:| I think you are exaggerating just a little Theo. . The main difference is; if you live in London you get London wages and London facilities and services like public transport. . But there can also advantages to be had from living in a low wage economy it has to be said; like the cost of a plumber. . I can remember one period in my life (not in Somerset), when whatever you wanted done, everyone just charged a £pound an hour. . everyone reciprocated, and It seemed to work quite well. . :) Pre VAT days.”
by Theo H, Lifton
Friday, March 05 2010, 10:03AM
“No one seems to consider the effect of people from Cornwall moving to London.
Is such a move OK?
Housing stress in London is dire.
When I lived in London, my bedroom was smaller than my woodshed here, I had a shower (no bathroom) and a 14'x 10' living room.
This could be rented out in London for more that a two bedroom house with garden in a pleasant part of Devon.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, March 05 2010, 9:54AM
“:| Yes Pete; most of us do have friends; even Theo! (I'm lead to believe). . I am sure Allan has many friends both here in the UK and in Brasil. . I'll have a word with the Editor and see if we can find one for you also. . I think that would be the Christian thing to do for you unser the circumstances.”
by pete, dartmouth
Friday, March 05 2010, 9:29AM
“"My farming friends could not compete with the imports of produce from abroad".
You have friends? You surprise me.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, March 05 2010, 9:07AM
“:| And something else that might interest you Theo.
Tuberculosis rise in East London by Peter Henn
EAST London is the frontline in the fight against a resurgence of Tuberculosis (TB) in the capital.
In 2009, 3,376 new cases of the disease were reported in the capital.
Londoners now account for the largest number of cases in the UK, making up 39 per cent of the country¿s total figure last year.
In Redbridge, the caseload rose from 58 in 2000 to 159 in 2008.
But it's completely treatable with a 6months course of a cocktail of drugs, as long as it not XAR. . Nevertheless
some people still never fully recover.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, March 05 2010, 8:37AM
“:| Zac's view,
" Is Britain democratic?
In the sense that we, the people, still have the right to remove our government once every few years, Britain is a democracy. But I believe that the time has come to acknowledge that our current form of democracy is too crude and inadequate to serve properly a sophisticated 21st century society.
Let¿s be honest: once elected, our MPs, councillors and other holders of public office habitually ignore the wishes of those who voted for them; and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The public will does not prevail in any meaningful sense. There is no on-going 'rule of the people', to take the commonly accepted definition of the word 'democracy'.
This gulf ; between promise and reality; angers people far more than it did in the past, and no amount of highfaluting talk from politicians about Britain¿s long-established traditions of representative democracy can conceal the fact that there is growing friction between people and power.
No one would dispute that there are some matters that should never be subject to collective decision-making. Certain individual rights are sacrosanct. The residents of a town can¿t vote to evict their neighbours, a la Big Brother, for example. . But there is broad agreement that many other decisions are made best through a genuinely democratic process."
:) Well Zac would certainly be preferable to you Theo. . But as he doesn't believe we should have any right to send you back to London if we get enough support it, there are still questions that need to be asked.”
by christopher, Northlew
Friday, March 05 2010, 12:14AM
“Its such a shame the Government forgot about us and with currently 1.8 million rural people in the UK without Broadband.. thats enough to sway any vote.. I wonder if they are now scared? probably not as they seem to think the UK ends in Hammersmith, I'm sure they think the South West is somewhere near China! or never even heard about it apart from the odd phrase 'wait, isn't it that place near the sea.. down there somewhere?'
Here in Northlew, we got fed up of waiting for BT, waiting for the Government and it's quangos to provide us with broadband.. so we stuck 2 fingers up at them and built our own, we are now helping other villages throughout the country with a rural broadband Network, you can read about us at northlew.net We also built our own park, haveo ur very own bus company and run an out reach post office and shop after the post office decided we no longer need to post any letters and closed ours.
The Government should rest assured that while they forget about us.... we WON'T forget them come election day!”