‘Nimbys holding back rural communities’, poll finds

Rural voters believe Nimbyism is holding the English countryside back, a poll has found.

The poll by Survation found more than 50% of voters in England’s 100 most rural constituencies backed building more homes in their communities.

It also found 46% of voters thought Nimbys who block housing proposals had a negative effect on rural communities, with only 19% thinking they had a positive impact.

The president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which commissioned the poll, said the results showed rural voters were “crying out for affordable housing”.

Victoria Vyvyan said: “Nobody wants to concrete over the countryside, least of all us, but for decades governments of all colours have treated it as a museum, risking the sustainability of communities and failing to generate the conditions necessary for growth.

“Villages cannot be dormitories for wealthy commuters, nor can they be the preserve of the elderly. A small number of homes must be built in a large number of villages to provide housing for young people and families, to provide works for local businesses and keep shops, schools and other facilities open.”

The poll also found 32% of rural voters listed a lack of affordable housing as the number one issue for rural communities, mentioned more than any other policy area, with a higher cost of living compared to urban areas coming second on 28%.

The CLA has urged both parties to include plans for rural housing in their manifestos, proposing reforms of the planning process for rural sites and making it easier to convert agricultural buildings into homes in national parks and national landscapes.

Ms Vyvyan added that “systemic failure” of planning policy was “steadily killing rural communities”.

A previous poll for the CLA found rural voters were split on who to back at the coming election, with a small lead for Labour in what have traditionally been Conservative heartlands, suggesting more constituencies could be in play.

The poll published on Monday was carried out at the end of January and surveyed 1,092 adults in the 100 most rural constituencies in England.