Childcare costs ‘driving families out of countryside’

A survey comparing quality of life in urban versus rural locations carried out by insurer NFU Mutual has revealed parents in countryside locations are paying 6.3 per cent more in weekly childcare costs for infants – £202 a week compared with £190 in urban areas, making the yearly bill £600 more. As a result, a quarter of parents living in the countryside feel like they pay a premium on services because of a lack of choice.

The problem could be compounded following changes to mortgage legislation, where such costs have to be factored in to mortgage questionnaires, which could result in rural families facing tighter lending limits for home loans, the company said.

Rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual Tim Price said: “The lack of affordable, accessible childcare in the countryside combined with sparse employment opportunities is making it even harder for families to get by when they have young children.”

Campaigners have warned the financial burden is yet another factor driving young families out of rural Yorkshire.

Disappearing services, premium prices and inaccessibility are leaving many rural communities on the brink.

Full story: Page 2.