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A report on housing in rural Wales has said that unless changes occur in Government policy there will be a generation gap in some areas of the Welsh countryside as an increasing number of young people are forced to move from their communities.
The eight month long study, published this week by the charity The Joseph Rowntree Trust and titled 'JRF Commission on Rural Housing in Wales' highlights the need for the Welsh Assembly Government to do more to keep young people in the countryside, by providing for their housing needs. The report covered a number of key areas of concern, including supply of affordable homes, vacant properties, impact of second homes and the role of local authorities in helping to meet housing need.
The report showed that housing supply was more limited in rural than in urban areas and that three times more properties were needed in rural Wales than existing numbers. The report also said that the Welsh Government plan to build 6500 affordable homes across Wales by 2011 was "ambitious", but questioned whether this would be enough.
Another issue covered in the report was vacant properties and second homes. The report recommended that councils in Wales should do more to bring vacant properties in rural areas back into use, which accounted for 4.3% of total rural housing stock in 2001 (about 18000 vacant properties). The Commission advised that the Welsh Government should promote good practise in bringing vacant properties back into use.
The Commission also touched upon the impact that housing pressures in rural communities was having on the Welsh language and culture. However, it was argued that the Commission was not in a position to offer evidence to suggest that housing problems in rural areas were directly impacting on Welsh culture and language, but noted that:
"...housing pressures, especially in traditional Welsh speaking areas in coastal areas where the impact of second homes has been greatest, have impacted on the Welsh language and traditional culture in a negative way."
The Commission recommended that local authorities needed to "control the conversion of properties into second homes in areas of housing pressure" and that it was "far from clear" how the increased revenue from charging the full Council Tax rate on second homes was being spent by councils. The report went on to say that the extra revenue from the Council Tax could play a significant role in meeting housing needs in rural areas and "should be used by local authorities for affordable housing purposes."
However, as highlighted in Cornwall, simply building a vast amount of houses in rural areas is not the answer, but needs to be done in a sustainable way, which was the message from Jocelyn Davies, the Deputy Minister for housing in Wales. Davies said that she shared the concerns of the commission of "pursuing a range of initiatives aimed at helping rural communities to meet their local housing need".
It is nevertheless clear from the Report that the Welsh Government is not doing enough to help curb the housing crisis currently developing in rural Wales, especially in traditional Welsh speaking areas.
The General Secretary of the League has written to Jane Davidson, the Welsh Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing, to make comment on the Commissions' report and the full text of which can be found below:
"Jane Davidson Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing
Dear Minister Jane Davidson
JRT Commission on Rural Housing in Wales
The Celtic League welcomes the publication of the above report, which, as you will be aware, highlights a number of key areas that the Welsh Assembly Government/Senedd could profitably pursue.
One issue that the Commission touched upon, but commented that it was not in a position
to offer evidence on, was the affect that rural housing problems in Wales have on the Welsh language and culture. The Commission did say however that:
"…it would appear that housing pressures, especially in traditional Welsh speaking areas in coastal areas where the impact of second homes has been greatest, have impacted on the Welsh language and traditional culture in a negative way."
The Celtic League believes that this is an area that the Welsh Assembly/Senedd could further investigate, in order to assess the impact of rural housing problems on the Welsh language and culture. Such a study would provide invaluable evidence for the case of protecting the housing stock in traditional Welsh speaking rural communities, especially in those areas that are particularly vulnerable to housing pressures.
We would appreciate hearing your views on the above.
Yours sincerely
Rhisiart Tal-e-bot General Secretary Celtic League"
Related articles on Celtic News at:
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
05/06/08
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