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Simon Hart: Leaders should engage with the countryside as it really is
THE Countryside Alliance has published a new Rural Manifesto for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It seeks to attract endorsement from the public and will be presented to the three main parties prior to the General Election.
We want it to be read, to generate discussion and to make people from cities and rural areas alike think about the future of the countryside.
The manifesto covers five topics: housing, education, farming, the repeal of the Hunting Act and services.
This is not a random choice, nor are these five necessarily the most important issues for everyone in the countryside. What they do represent is a five-piece jigsaw with each piece connecting with the others.
Some have huge practical implications, while others make important political statements. Some issues are devolved whereas others remain the domain of central government, but the future of the countryside has an importance that bridges political boundaries.
Everyone is feeling the impact of the recession. Everywhere there are real pockets of deprivation and concerns about our quality of life, the environment and the kind of landscape we want to live in.
Our countryside is a national treasure admired around the world and it is also a home and workplace. Those who live and work there can be forgiven for feeling at times that it does not receive the political support it deserves.
Divisive politics, media misrepresentation and a lack of understanding can create a gap between rural and urban areas. Yet there should be no conflict over "town or country". The challenge is doing the best for both town and country.
Community is central to rural life which is why the Rural Manifesto attaches real significance to affordable rural housing – the chance for local people to live locally, to fill schools, support local services and keep families together.
The countryside has always evolved and rural people understand the social and technical requirements of the 21st century. This generation knows how to change, but it wants the opportunity to do so in the countryside it grew up in.
There is no single solution to the problem of affordable housing. However, by simplifying the development process, giving powers to local communities and providing the right fiscal incentives the Government can empower local communities to meet their own housing needs.
Children and young people have become disconnected from the countryside and all children should have a better understanding of the natural richness of the countryside and what it is like to live and work there. Outdoor education improves young people's confidence, social skills and understanding of the environment and it must become a core subject in the National Curriculum.
Farming continues to form a vital piece of the rural jigsaw. It is about feeding the nation good healthy food, rearing animals, maintaining a landscape responsibly and above all keeping communities together.
Farmers are not subsidised park keepers, but open air businessmen, embracing traditional production with modern technology. Policies, at both a UK and an EU level, should acknowledge the many overlapping functions of farming and not promote one element at the expense of another.
Any policies, should as far as is possible, be future-proofed so that farmers have the stability they need to make long-term decisions and investments.
On hunting, we argue that tolerance and respect are the hallmark of mature politics. We argue the need for workable legislation that can be understood by the police, the courts and those it affects. We argue that prohibiting any activity only works when there is overwhelming evidence that it is causing a demonstrable harm. The Hunting Act should be repealed.
Rural services are the glue which holds communities together but, for years, rural public services have been in much faster
decline than equivalent services in urban areas.
The problem of access to services in the countryside is inseparable from public transport problems. Without adequate public transport, rural communities are more dependent on car ownership to access basic services such as healthcare, education and banking. For geographic and social reasons, the need for
viable public transport in rural areas is far more acute than in urban areas.
We are more than mindful of the economic situation any incoming Government will face and are not being unrealistic about demanding increased expenditure in some areas. Indeed proposals such as cutting the rate of VAT for repair, maintenance and home improvement work has even raised tax revenue in other European countries.
Most of all, by adopting the proposals in the Rural Manifesto political parties will be signalling an end to the divisive politics which has dogged the relationship between the countryside and government over the last 10 years.
It is time for government to engage with the countryside as it actually is, not as some anachronism of a world that never really existed. The Rural Manifesto points the way.
n To find out more about the Rural Manifesto and to sign up to its aims go to www.countryside-alliance.org.uk
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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