The Government’s Productivity Plan sets out important actions to boost rural growth, long-term investment and diversification of farm businesses but falls short of what is needed on rural broadband, says the CLA.
The organisation, which represents landowners, farmers and rural businesses, welcomes recognition that specific plans are needed for productivity within the rural economy.
CLA Director of Policy Christopher Price said: “Too often Government can see the countryside as a beauty spot alone rather than also as a place where people live and work. This is a strong plan that recognises the rural economy’s important contribution to the national economy and sets out specific plans for boosting rural productivity. We look forward to working with Government to ensure delivery on the ground.
“The commitment to unblocking the planning system is good news for rural communities and businesses, but the plans for delivery of broadband fall short of what is needed.”
On adoption of local plans:
Mr Price said: “In areas where no local plan for development has been adopted, it is all too easy for planning authorities to block the projects needed for rural businesses to invest and grow, and needed for people to live near their workplaces. Government has today sent out a very clear message that this will no longer be tolerated.
“Local plans should act as the mechanism for delivering the right development in the right places, which is essential for a strong rural economy and for thriving countryside communities. They should also help prevent less strategically planned windfall applications and reduce delivery by costly appeal. With around half of England’s planning authorities failing to adopt a local plan to date, this obstruction has become a stranglehold on rural areas across the country. We have been calling for Government to take action and we are very pleased to see the reforms which allow Ministers to force local authorities to issue plans to a defined and enforceable timescale.”
On review of the threshold for agricultural buildings to convert to residential:
Mr Price said: “Delivery of rural housing has been woeful. The review of the threshold for agricultural buildings to convert to residential must be significant if it is to really make a difference. The inclusion of this review in the Productivity Plan highlights that Government is prepared to circumvent obstructive planning authorities to support appropriate delivery of rural homes.”
On the extension of Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants
Mr Price said: “We remain concerned about the extension of Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants, which will turn the already challenging situation into a catastrophe for delivery of affordable housing in the countryside. Across the countryside there are landowners that want to provide land for affordable housing, they understand that this means selling it at less than market value for this purpose. They will not do this if they know the homes will eventually be sold off into the open market and not kept for those in most need within their communities. It is therefore vital Ministers put in place a specific exemption from the policy for homes in rural communities, for continued existence of an affordable rental sector in rural areas.”
On delivery of rural broadband and mobile coverage:
Mr Price said: “Too many people living and working in the countryside still suffer from poor or non-existent broadband connection. It is a missed opportunity that this plan does not set out a specific Universal Service Obligation of at least 10 megabits per second on network providers for all rural homes and businesses, including the last 5%. This is the only way to give rural communities and businesses the confidence that the discrimination they face will end.
“We agree that the code governing access to land for mobile and broadband equipment (the electronic communications code) should be reformed. We will work with Government to ensure that this is done quickly. It is vital that the code strikes a fair and workable balance to ensure that we get more infrastructure in our rural areas, but not in a way that imposes disproportionate costs and burdens on farmers and other landowners.”
