Young farmers priced out of the North East

Jul 12 2010 by Helen Rae, The Journal

YOUNG farmers are being priced out of living in the North East countryside due to a shortage of affordable homes, a coalition of farming and housing groups have warned.

House prices in rural England have more than doubled during the past decade to average £256,698, but the average salary for people working in the countryside has risen to just £21,000.

The National Housing Federation, the National Farmers Union and the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs said the high cost of housing meant the vast majority of people in rural areas had little hope of ever being able to afford to buy a property where they lived.

Katy Drummond, 23, treasurer of Alnwick Young Farmers Club, said: “It is completely true that property in the countryside has become so expensive that young farmers are unable to buy a house in rural parts of the North East.

“Most want to stay and live in the countryside as that is what they are used to and it’s where they have grown up with their friends and family. But unfortunately young farmers are being forced to buy houses in towns as the prices are much cheaper.

“This is a disappointing situation as we want to be able to stay in the countryside and instead are having to live in towns where we have to get used to living with neighbours nearby.”

It has been warned that the lack of affordable housing poses a substantial threat to traditional rural life. Research carried out for the National Housing Federation found 65% of people living in rural England thought local families and young people were being priced out of villages and market towns by the high cost of property.

And 63% thought there was a shortage of affordable homes for local people in their village, with 70% saying they would support plans to build a small number of affordable properties for local people in their area.

Katy, who lives between Lemmington Hall and Alnwick, said: “Rural housing prices are expensive because people see the countryside as being a place to live when they retire and they have a lot more money than young farmers do.”

More than a third of people in rural communities thought key services, such as village shops, post offices and pubs, had declined during the past five years, while 31% thought second home owners had a negative impact on community life.

The federation, which represents housing associations in England, said the number of people on waiting lists for housing in England had soared to 750,000, and it estimates that nearly 100,000 new affordable homes need to be built in rural areas during the coming 10 years to meet demand.

It said hundreds of pubs and shops were closing every year in rural England, while village schools were closing at the rate of one a month due to declining demand as local families were priced out by wealthy commuters and second home owners.

The group is calling on local housing authorities to draw up action plans to address the housing needs of people in their communities to ensure villages remain sustainable.

David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: “Unless we build more affordable homes for the local families, then we must accept that traditional community life will be wiped out within a generation in many areas.”