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Investors could rejoice at planning proposals

24th July 2008 | back to article listings BACK    print this article PRINT

Rural England has in the past been seen as an idyllic place, that lush leafy hideaway far removed from the intensity and stress of the city. From Wordsworth to Blake the "green and pleasant land" has been a spot for rumination, rejuvenation and self-repair. And as such, it makes a pretty good prospect for potential property investment, whether that be in the buy-to-let sector of elsewhere. Who would not want to seek solace in a traditionally quiet area, where the fast-paced routine of the urban sprawl seems like a nightmare?

Yet a fresh report commissioned by the government and released this week has suggested that everyday people could be priced out of the countryside unless affordable housing is made more easily available there. The Living Working Countryside document, authored by Liberal Democrat MP Matthew Taylor, contended that enhanced planning in such areas would provide a boost. Mr Taylor suggested that market towns could face extinction unless cheaper properties are more easily available for those who work in the country.

"Urgent action is vital to stop villages dying and our market towns being wrecked by unsympathetic development," he commented. And only a few "well-designed homes" could ensure that there will be an adequate number of dwellings available for homeowners there in the future, he added.

The Taylor report has got the backing of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), which asserted that the recommendations are "refreshing", something that may be of interest to buy-to-let investors. Head of rural policy at the outfit Tom Oliver remarked that at the very least the findings should improve the level of debate and allow planners to achieve more success and find that their job is made more succinct. "CPRE thinks there may be potential in the report's proposal for community-led affordable housing which could secure urgently needed affordable homes in perpetuity in rural villages," he stated. Moreover, he suggested that long-term planning along with high-quality design will form the backbone of any changes if they materialise.

Time will tell is the recommendations become reality in the long-run, yet if they do come to fruition then life for investors will become easier, that is for sure. Maybe the utopian image of the English countryside can once again become touchable for some, with its streams, rivers, wildlife and tranquillity. Not forgetting of course the "vales and hills" Wordsworth was so keen to encapsulate hundreds of years ago.

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