Proposed closure of St Hilda’s school in Ampleforth is reflective of a wider concerning trend in rural areas

For the last 15 years, the rural North Yorkshire primary school has had no more than 36 pupils. It currently only has 13 children on roll and has seen a consistently low intake of new pupils in recent years.

The school has served the village since 1890 and holds a special place in people’s hearts in this quiet corner of Yorkshire. It would be a huge shame should it close. Not least because it would be another rural school that is no longer seen as being viable because it is unable operate within its budget due to low pupil numbers.

It is yet another example of how difficult it is becoming for ordinary people to live and work in the countryside.

There has been a rise in the number of second homes and holiday lets in picturesque rural villages. And this just leads to these places becoming seasonal ghost towns.

They also force young local families to uproot due to a lack of affordable housing, which then creates a vicious cycle whereby school numbers plummet to the point where they are no longer viable.

This either reduces or completely takes away education provision for families already there, forcing them to consider moving away as well.

As a result the very characteristics that make rural areas great are under threat. The people who have lived there all their lives are a big part of the reason why the countryside is so appealing to many outsiders.