1.3 Overview of Social Issues
- The social profile of rural areas in the South West shows some communities have waned, some have declined, some are static and others have been sustained. There are a number of reasons for the differences in vitality, not least the decline in the relative contribution that the land-based sector and its ancillary industries make to rural communities and to the rural economy. There is also a consequence for the Region's environment of a diminishing number of people with traditional land management skills.
- Key issues within the Region are:
- Dispersed population and settlement pattern in rural areas, with high dependency on private car use and associated problems with inaccessibility and public transport provision.
- High employment growth concentrated in the north and east of the Region, but with significant regional disparities in the south and west.
- High agricultural employment dependency in the south and west compared with the national picture, with farms equally dependent on primary production or off-farm employment for income. Ageing farming population with a problem of business start-up for new entrants.
- Dependency on, and lack of alternative job opportunities outside, primary industry and tourism/consumer services in the south west of the Region.
- Low wage economy in seasonal employment sector.
- High incidence of self-employment.
- Social exclusion for low wage and non-working population in remote rural areas and hidden deprivation as national indicators are designed for urban setting.
- Ageing and retired population in rural areas, with low proportion of youth.
- High incidence of second home ownership, contributing to rising prices and exclusion of indigenous population from the housing ladder.
- Polarisation within the rural community and poor access to community services in remote rural areas.
- This section draws largely from a study carried out by DTZ Pieda Consulting for the South West England Regional Development Agency (SW RDA).17 In particular analysis and data have been drawn from the baseline analysis at Appendix 2 to the study. In addition the sections on Agricultural and Off-farm Employment have been drawn from a MAFF/FRCA Farming and Rural Issues Paper prepared to brief the SW RDA.
Page last modified:
17 August, 2005
Page published: 1 October, 2000