Housing watchdog warns rural Shropshire life is dying

Traditional village life is dying in rural Shropshire - and action plans need to be drawn up to build more affordable homes if it is to be saved, a housing watchdog has said.

The National Housing Federation said local schools, shops and pubs were disappearing from rural landscapes at an alarming rate. Regional spokesman Dawn Cummins called on county local authorities to draw up immediate plans.

She said unless more affordable homes were built young people would continue to be priced out - and key services would disappear with them.

"Families from across Shropshire face the decline of local village life due to a chronic shortage of affordable housing in rural England," she added.

"The National Housing Federation is calling for urgent action to be taken to halt the demise of the countryside, as the cornerstones of traditional village life, such as the local school, the shop and the pub, are disappearing from the rural landscape at an alarming rate."

She added: "There is an ever declining demand for services in villages where local families have been priced out of the area by wealthy commuters, pensioners and second home owners, as well as the negative impact of too few new homes having been built."

Mrs Cummins said the number of people on waiting lists for affordable homes in rural England had rocketed to 750,000 - and warned that figure was likely to increase further with not enough new properties being built.

She said a recent report published by the National Housing Federation - Home Truths 2010 - showed the country was in the midst of its worst housing crisis for generations.

The Federation, which represents England's housing associations, estimates about 100,000 new affordable homes need to be built in England alone to meet demand in rural areas over the next 10 years.

Mrs Cummins added: "The Federation is so concerned that it is calling upon local authorities in rural areas to draw up action plans to address the housing needs of their communities.

"Affordable housing lies at the centre of the battle to save traditional village life.

"Unless we build more affordable homes for local people, they will continue to be priced out of rural areas and services they support will vanish with them."