NEW REPORT “WAKE UP CALL” FOR GOVERNMENT ON RURAL HOUSING SAYS MP

12.26.43pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 18th May 2006

Nick Harvey, MP for North Devon, today welcomed the report published by the Affordable Rural Housing Commission, ten months after it was set up to solve the housing crisis in rural areas.

Commenting Mr Harvey said:

“At the last general election, Labour promised to tackle the crisis in rural housing. With the publication of this report, the government are given a perfect opportunity to show its real commitment to the issue.

“This report acknowledges the major problems faced by rural communities today and has made a number of excellent proposals.

“Unsurprisingly, the Commission supports the Liberal Democrat policy that local councils should be given enhanced planning powers to restrict the growth of second homes.

“What is now needed is for the Housing Corporation to increase its grants manifold and enable a programme of building social, affordable housing over the next decade.”

• Ends-

Notes

- The Affordable Rural Housing Commission was set up in July 2005 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) – now the newly created Department for Communities and Local Government – to inquire into the scale, nature and implications of the shortage of affordable housing for rural communities in England. The full report is available from DEFRA: http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/pdfs/housing/commission/affordable-housing.pdf

- In North Devon, the price of houses has increased by 164% in the past 5 years. With North Devon featuring in the top ten Rural local Authorities with the fewest first time buyers, more than 3% of all chargeable dwellings are now second homes.