Home working could be 'game changer' for Yorkshire's threatened rural heartlands

Some of the county’s more remote areas have faced major challenge amid vast social and economic change, sparking fears over the sustainability of communities with fewer young families.

Now the Very Reverend John Dobson, Dean of Ripon Cathedral and chairman of the independent commission tasked with offering insight into the reversal of this decline, has spoken of how the national crisis has shone a “spotlight” on age-old truths about the connectivity of communities.

And as the taskforce takes its evidence sessions online, there are opportunities to be taken, he said, as society shifts its focus in search of a better balance.

“This is a game changer,” said the Dean. “There will be more home working, more remote working. That opens up opportunities for regions like North Yorkshire which is an attractive place to live - provided we can connect.

“The quality of life, the strength of the economy, could be strengthened as a consequence.

“Broadband that works for people, along with digital strategies, is as important now as having running water or basic services,” he added. “We as a region have got to know that. For the wellbeing of the communities of this region in the future, there needs to be serious investment. We are not there yet.”

The independent eight-strong commission, the first of its kind, was set up by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) last October and had been due to bring recommendations this autumn.

While a series of sessions has been held on issues such as agriculture and economy, this has been pushed back as meetings moved online. It was a move which proved “invaluable”, said the Dean, particularly as some members struggled to join.

Citing examples of evidence the commission has heard, he spoke of a key worker in the remote hamlet of Kirby Grindalythe in Ryedale, who faced a three-hour daily commute under lockdown as he was unable to access the internet.

Drawing up a complex picture surrounding rural transport which has seen extra challenges “heaped” upon it, he credited the “heroism” of community schemes such as Hawes’ Little White Bus, and spoke of a “responsible” manner in which country estates are addressing affordable housing.

“These communities where we are anxious about their sustainability - it’s pretty clear that we have to resolve this problem of affordable homes,” he said. “It may be that we look to new models, particularly for families.

“How we deliver it in a sustainable way has got to work.”

Flourishing communities

When it came to the vitality of communities, he added, it had become clear that the spirit of togetherness seen in recent months was a powerful tool.

“It can be dismissed as small scale, but is significant in terms of the sustainability and life of these communities,” he said. “It’s another lesson, another truth, which has had a spotlight shown on it at this time.

“Enabling life to flourish is always vital. What has prompted the county council to establish the commission is the knowledge that there are some parts of the region that are threatened.

“We are trying to bring all of that together and not be frightened to face up to what the difficulties and challenges are, and to not be so overwhelmed by them we can’t see what the positives could be.

“We’ve had a decade of austerity, and now there’s a sense that this Government is spending, and is keen to invest in infrastructure,” he added. “Let’s not forget the lessons that have been learned - communities flourish where they work well together.”

As England’s largest county, with 85 per cent classed as very rural or super sparse, North Yorkshire faces challenges around connectivity, climate change and an ageing population.

While superfast broadband has been rolled out of 92 per cent of the population, some 49,000 people still have no coverage.

The soaring cost of housing has priced many rural residents, especially young families, out of the housing market, and eight schools have closed over the last three years as pupil numbers dwindled.

Further evidence sessions on education and transport are to be held in coming weeks.

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James Mitchinson