The pandemic could help to ‘redefine’ rural and coastal
communities in England, a report commissioned by the Local
Government Association (LGA) and produced by Pragmatix Advisory
has found.
The LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales,
has found that a rise in people ‘staycationing’, population
movement away from urban areas and a greater focus on the green
economy could all help deliver a £51 billion a year economic
boost by 2030 to rural areas.
However, councils are warning that disproportionately low
wages in coastal and rural communities is making the cost of
housing increasingly unaffordable for many workers. The report
finds that the main industries in these areas are
tourism/hospitality, farming and fishing, all of whom are more
likely to offer lower wages and seasonal work patterns.
The LGA is calling on the Government to improve digital
connectivity, including the introduction of more 4G connectivity
and improved access to superfast broadband across the country. To
tackle these challenges, the report has also called on the
Government to:
-
Redesign and extend the public transport network in more
isolated areas to ensure more young people can access
employment and training opportunities.
-
Work to mitigate the impact that seasonal tourism has on
both local infrastructure in coastal and rural areas as well as
the impact it has on local housing costs.
Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chair of the LGA’s People and Places
Board said:
“Rural and coastal communities are places which have unique
challenges from low income, seasonal working as well as poor
connectivity but also significant opportunities which can be
utilised as we recover from the pandemic.
“With a rise in homeworking, an unprecedented increase in
‘staycationing’ and greater appreciation for natural resources,
there are significant changes taking place in the local economies
of rural and coastal parts of the country.
“If the many people who want to make these changes
permanent are supported to do so, and the appropriate investment
is made in rural and coastal communities to leverage the
associated economic opportunities, there is the potential for a
substantial levelling up of rural areas’ prosperity.
“With the right powers and resources, councils can play a
lead role in levelling up and ensuring no areas of the country,
including our coastal and rural communities, are left
behind.”
Ends
Notes to Editors:
The full report, Rural
recognition, recovery, resilience, and revitalisation, is
available on the LGA website.
Case Studies:
The report features a number of real life case studies to
help summarise the daily life, experiences and challenges of
people living in rural and coastal communities in England.
These case studies helped inform the report’s findings and
understanding of the areas it seeks to examine.
These include:
Anne Marie, 65, Tendring , Essex
Anne-Marie has lived in her small coastal town for nearly
20 years. Having grown up in London she then lived in Colchester
but was pulled to the seaside by the lovely feeling of the place.
Her main concern is the high street. They are being hampered by
the fact that in recent years all the banks have left town (there
used to be three banks and a building society) meaning that many
people now travel to nearby Colchester or Clacton.
Katie, 21, Shropshire:
Katie lives with her parents in a small town in
Shropshire, not far from the Welsh border. Katie has lived in her
town her entire life, and she loves the strong community feel to
it. In normal times, there’s a lot of local events, festivals and
markets and the area has a lot of sports clubs and arts and
crafts projects. But the pandemic has hit the area hard. Some
businesses, including a bank and two pubs, haven’t reopened, and
many of the local independent stores are struggling
