Rural idyll not always ideal (From This is Hampshire)

Rural idyll not always ideal

12:21pm Monday 21st July 2008

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WITH scenic views and peaceful atmosphere, the Hampshire countryside is proving popular with families and as a result is becoming busier as demands for housing is increasing.

Set against this ideal picture the State of the Countryside report, by the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) shows inequality is increasing in Hampshire's rural areas.

Rural areas have significant strengths in starting up businesses and a series of reports since 1999 reveal that knowledge-based industries have grown by 46 per cent.

Dr Stuart Burgess, chairman of the CRC, said: "While there are many advantages to living and working in rural parts of Hampshire, there remain some significant challenges. The quality of life may often be better in rural areas but this is not the case everywhere and for everyone."

Work in rural areas often came with a low salary resulting in one in five homeowners in the countryside falling below the poverty line. With the growing rural population, the area's environment could be affected by pollution, with rural homeowners using their cars and heating more than higher populated areas.

The use and the demand for land, changes in the world economy and the rise of food and fuel prices has persuaded policy makers to benefit communities by making the changes needed.

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