Countryside Alliance - love the countryside

Your countryside should include housing for local people seeking local jobs, but development must be sensitive to community and environmental needs.

It’s a fact

On average earnings of £17,400 a year it is possible to buy a house in just 28% of rural wards  compared with 50% of urban wards.

Why we care

The inability of country people to live close to their place of work is one of the greatest threats to the countryside itself. Many rural people are unable to buy a first home in the area where they grew up and where they work. We will continue to ensure that affordable housing is one of the key priorities for government.

The Countryside Alliance believes:

 Planning decisions on the provision of affordable housing, jobs and services must be taken locally to ensure they meet the needs of those communities. More on this....

 VAT on brownfield development should be abolished immediately and tax policy amended so that it is not cheaper to build a new home than renovate an existing building. More on this....

 All monies raised from the increase in council tax on second homes must be ring-fenced for local housing needs. More on this....

 Local occupancy conditions should be applied on new affordable homes to prevent their sale to people who have not lived in the area for three years or who are not moving to the area to take up employment. More on this....

 Local authorities should take advantage of the provision in Planning Policy Statement 7, which allows for land unsuitable for commercial development to be used for affordable housing. More on this....