North Yorkshire district wants to become a 'working from home' hotspot to attract young people

Craven District Council plans to "accelerate" its efforts to reverse the long-term drift of young families away from the area by taking advantage of the change in working habits during the pandemic.

The largely rural district, named as the happiest place to live in the country in 2017, has seen its economy badly hit by the pandemic because of its reliance on tourism income.

But the council's leader, Conservative Richard Foster, believes it is potentially well placed to market itself as a place to live rather than just come on holiday once the country adapts to the 'new normal' after the pandemic.

He said it was noticeable last weekend, the first after lockdown restrictions were eased, how many young people were visiting the Yorkshire Dales compared with the usual visitor demographic of over-60s and early retirees.

Officials in Craven are keen to stress that as well as its longstanding advantages such as low crime rates, good quality schools and open space, 90 per cent of homes in the district are now connected to superfast broadband.

With the aim of attracting higher-paid jobs which will bring in young people who want to stay and raise a family, the council has developed plans for more business space in several locations and is spending £4.5m to turn Skipton Town Hall and Craven Museum into a cultural hub.

Coun Foster told The Yorkshire Post: "We have good broadband, we have all the things you could possibly need if you are now going to be working from home, and why not open your curtains on the Yorkshire Dales.

"If you're looking at moving, don't just look in your local area, look at those rural areas because if you're going to be spending three four days a week working from home, you're probably better out here with good schools and low crime."

Like most of North Yorkshire, Craven has an ageing population, prompting fears that many smaller communities will become unsustainable due to a lack of young families.

But last month, one of North Yorkshire's Rural Commissioners examining how the county can prosper in the coming years, said it could become a more attractive place for families once the nation emerges from lockdown into a fundamentally changed way of life,

Heather Hancock said the current national emergency was showing that a remote workforce can be just as effective and productive as one based in an office.

Large numbers of people across Yorkshire have been working from home during the pandemic, and a recent survey of 2,000 adults by Direct Line indicated that many will want to continue when the crisis ends.

More than two out of five people are set to ask their employer for permanent flexible working arrangements after coronavirus restrictions are fully lifted, the research suggests.

Simon Myers, the council’s lead member for Enterprising Craven, said the district was already becoming a popular place to work from home before the pandemic.

And he added: “Many Craven businesses have discovered that it is convenient to work digitally during the lockdown, with a large number adapting their business model to deliver all or most of their services online.

"This includes food and drink companies but also even artists and festivals such as Settle Stories and Hinterlands. We are all becoming more familiar and experienced with the use of digital platforms including social media and Zoom, Skype, Slack, Trello, Teams and so on.

“I’m sure as many are encouraged to move away from large offices, increasingly people will see the benefit of living in beautiful, rural areas, with thriving villages and towns, where you really can have your cake and eat it.”

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