Scott Welcomes Report Into Rural Housing

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 21st Aug 2008

I am happy to welcome a new report setting out how more can be done to provide affordable homes and a vibrant economy in the English countryside.

A view across the green fields towards Towcester

The report, 'Living Working Countryside', was commissioned by the Government, but has been produced by Liberal Democrat MP Matthew Taylor, who has been a prominent campaigner on rural housing issues for many years.

Scott said:

"There is a real shortage of affordable housing across the country, but the shortage is at its worst in rural areas like ours".

"Houses in rural areas are more expensive than in bigger towns and cities, but salaries are lower. Young local families are being priced out of their own communities. The prices of houses in the town continue in many cases to still be well beyond many first time buyers reach"

"The Taylor Review is right to look at how we can create more jobs in rural areas including areas like Towcester. Without jobs more and more of our countryside will become a zone of just second homes and retirement cottages. This then impacts on the abilities of local shops to compete with major superstores. Small businesses should also be encouraged in the countryside, and we should make the planning system more flexible to enable this - particularly when it comes to work-based extensions to homes. The report is also right to propose that housing associations should end their ban on people setting up home-based businesses in their properties.

"The proposed Towcester Vale development will bring more affordable homes to Towcester but this will not address the problem of a lack of affordable homes across the rest of rural South Northamptonshire".

"There is a lot more the Government could do to deliver more affordable rural housing. Unused land owned by the Government and other public sector bodies should be used for building affordable housing. And we need much more action from the Government to bring empty homes back into use".

"This is an important report. But there has been no shortage of excellent reports on housing issues over the last few years. What we need now is government action."