Rural Development Sub-Committee

Inquiry into Poverty and Deprivation in Rural Wales

Response from Wales Young Farmers Clubs (YFC)

Wales YFC

Wales Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) Consists of approximately 6000 members in 172 clubs pan Wales, representing a membership of forward thinking Young People between the ages of 10 and 26, who have a willingness to embrace change to ensure a viable future for agriculture and rural Wales.

Although the name suggests a membership of farmers, the YFC represents young people from all backgrounds and all parts of Wales where the issue of rural affordable housing and hardships felt in rural Wales is always high on any discussion agenda within our membership.

1. What are the poverty/ deprivation problems faced by rural areas? What are the specific needs of rural areas in relation to this issue?

Subjective evidence would suggest that the decline in investment in rural amenities is leading to increasing levels of hardship in rural areas.
Public transport service provision in some rural areas is declining, local amenities such as shops and schools are closing, these are the infrastructure that support rural communities and stop them feeling so isolated.
Health services are seemingly being stream-lined leading to many rural dwellers having to travel long distances to access basic health care such as the doctors’ surgery or an NHS dentist. These also can have a negative effect in encouraging an economically active generation to stay in a rural area.
Rural incomes are consistently lower than those that can be achieved in urban situations and with the cost of living in rural Wales due to it desirable location for second home owners and tourists, this has lead to greater deprivation in some areas of rural Wales.
Rural income levels need to improve in line with the cost of living. I could be debated that minimum wage needs to be raised.
More work should be done to promote small to medium business in rural Wales and e-commerce. More support is needed for all rural areas to have access to broadband services.
Affordable housing represents a significant problem, with rural dwellers being priced out of their own communities by an influx of tourists and second home owners. There needs to be a shift in planning policy which will allow local residents to build sympathetically and affordably in rural areas in Wales to ensure a new generation of economically active people can come and work and live in rural Wales.
To encourage the setting up of rural businesses, support could be made available for relocation costs, IT development to promote e-commerce in rural Wales, though tax breaks for small SME’s employing rural people.
In addition to promoting enterprise in rural areas, it is important that basic facilities are available to service a community and support culture and innovation. There is potential for schools to become rural hubs, offering their facilities for other activities in addition to education. This would support them to stay open and provide more for a community. For example the school yard farers market initiative could be extended.
The cost of running a vehicle in rural Wales due to the increasing cost of fuel should not be underestimated as becoming an even greater influence on rural deprivation. Where there is no reliable or consistent provision of public transport, the only way you can work and live in some areas of rural Wales is by running and owning a car. With fuel prices over £1/ litre, subjective evidence would conclude that in many cases the cost of running a car is now one of the largest overheads in a rural family’s budget.

On the Subject of rural affordable housing below are suggestions for tackling the issue:

Involve local communities in discussions and workshops to identify the needs of the specific community.
Compulsory purchase of suitable land by local authorities for development of affordable housing.
Houses in shared ownership with housing associations and local authorities.
Encourage stronger economics in rural areas to raise incomes. More money should be allocated through the RDP directly to rural communities.
Enforce against the owners of empty properties in Wales - e.g. greater council tax burden for second home owners and people who leave property unoccupied for long periods of time.
Ensure that the housing provided meets the needs of local communities and don’t become 'social ghettos’.

2. Are anti-poverty/ deprivation activities best dealt with by the Welsh Assembly Government or by the Local Authorities? Why?

Wales YFC believe that local communities should be given the opportunity to make decisions about their own communities and where necessary given the power and the tools to resolve their own situation of poverty.
This should then be backed up by policy or tools to support a grassroots lead approach.
Work should avoid a 'one size fits all’ approach.
Any approach needs to be adaptive not reactionary.
Ensure local people are able to reside in their home communities and those who have moved away and want to return are encouraged back to their communities.
Ensure vital village services are maintained to reduce rural isolation.
Use existing redundant buildings to create dwellings which are in-keeping with local landscape and could be affordable, e.g. disused farm buildings.
Planning policy should be flexible to encourage more SME’s in rural areas.

3. What anti-poverty/ deprivation initiatives are you aware of?

Non currently.

4. What specific measure would you like to see implemented by the Welsh Assembly Government to deal with poverty/ deprivation issues in rural Wales?

More money could be made available through Axis 3&4 in the RDP to support rural initiatives.
The Welsh Assembly should commit to an action plan to support rural communities and value what they deliver in terms of heritage, culture, tourism and the environment, where on the back of this finance is made available to support more rural amenities and community lead initiatives.

5. What examples are you aware of in Wales/other parts of the UK/ overseas?

Non currently

6. To what extent are rural young people living in poverty/ deprivation in rural Wales?

Wales YFC believe this is very difficult to quantify, however with the current hardships being felt in the farming industry, rise in the living costs in rural areas above the rate of increase of rural incomes, subjective evidence would suggest more young people would be experiencing deprivation in rural Wales.

The Welsh Assembly Government need to invest in infrastructure and amenities in rural areas, this includes the basic requirements for electricity, broadband and digital. There are still many communities which do not have access to any of these which could be considered as basic requirements for supporting the economic regeneration of communities.