Rural areas held back by housing and infrastructure woes, report warns
I am tempted in response to this story to say, “tell me something I don’t know….” How useful these reports are when they never seem to get taken up by policy makers I am not sure but I applaud the effort to keep these issues on the agenda. Bravo
The rural economy is being held back by a lack of affordable housing, supermarket price-wars, poor public transport and broadband connections, according to a new report.
The cross-party group of MPs and peers found the rural economy was 18% less productive than the national average. If this gap was reduced it could add £43bn to the UK economy.
The government said it welcomed the report, and that it was providing £2.6bn to rural areas.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Rural Powerhouse heard evidence from over 50 rural organisations including charities, campaign groups, academics, and business leaders.
Calling it “one of the most comprehensive inquiries into the productivity of the rural economy” the co-chairman of the APPG, Lord Cameron of Dillington, said, “It is vital that government understands that rural Britain is not a museum, but instead is an important part of the national economy that deserves the chance to succeed.”