SCARBOROUGH & WHITBY LIB DEMS WELCOME RURAL HOUSING REPORT

6.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 18th Aug 2008

Tania Exley-Moore, Liberal Democrat PPC for Scarborough, has welcomed a new report setting out how more can be done to provide affordable homes and a vibrant economy in the English countryside.

The report, 'Living Working Countryside' has been produced by Liberal Democrat MP Matthew Taylor, who has been a prominent campaigner on rural housing issues for many years.

Tania Exley-Moore said:

"There is a real shortage of affordable housing across the country, but the shortage is at its worst in rural areas like ours".

"Houses in rural areas are more expensive than in bigger towns and cities, but salaries are lower. This means it is particularly difficult for first-time buyers to find a home in areas like ours. Young local families are being priced out of their own communities"

"There is a real problem with second homes dominating some parts of the country particularly national parks. We have a particular difficulty in our Borough because there are over 4000 second homes, not available to local residents. I welcome Matthew Taylor's recommendation that we should look at requiring planning permission for second homes in areas where this is a particular problem.

"The Taylor Review is right to look at how we can create more jobs in rural areas... Small businesses should be encouraged in the countryside, and we should make the planning system more flexible to enable this - particularly when it comes to work-based extensions to homes. The report is also right to propose that housing associations should end their ban on people setting up home-based businesses in their properties.

"There is a lot more the Government could do to deliver more affordable rural housing. Unused land owned by public sector bodies should be used for building affordable housing. We need much more action from the Government to bring empty homes back into use."