I hope to see a revival of market towns as the drivers of an attractive and livable countryside. Market towns’ proximity to rural communities make them the perfect economic and social hubs for large hinterlands, and offer local services and solutions for dispersed rural populations. Goverment and regional funding needs to be re-focussed on creating sustainable market towns and moved away from the current pre-occupation with larger urban areas. Many market towns have suffered from decades of under-funding for basic infrastructure improvements because budgets are focussed on larger urban areas. To create a sustainable pattern of settlements in rural areas, these budget priorities need to be changed, and life needs to be brought back to our market towns.

Andrea Pellegram

Rural Britain in 2020 will be a place in which to live, that is sustainable and economically viable. It will be a place to visit, to share in the economy and enjoy the relative peace and beauty. It will provide a range of housing to suit all pockets. Above all it will retain what is best about the area and change only what is necessary. The local community will exercise real democracy.

Keith Smith

A caring cohesive community, with a sustainable, economically active population Access to appropriate and suitable services for a wider age range of residents and visitors and opportunities for all to:

• Participate
• Plan
• Prepare
• Propser

Lynne Cairns Bucks Community Action - Trustee

Education: Recognition that small schools and delivering education in small units is highly effective and delivers excellent results

Young People: Young people no longer feel it is necessary to leave the countryside and rural towns to pursue a career because technology and the planning system enables much wider opportunities for enterprise

Housing: Affordable housing - both low cost to buy and social rented - is much more widely available and re-invigorating a new generation of prosperous rural communities

Governance: Strong shire county unitaries have replaced 2 tier system and role of RDAs in sub-regional regeneration, delivering efficient government and place-based and more effective regeneration

Sustainability: Rural communities are pioneering new ways to complete transition from oil dependency leading on new renewable technologies, microgeneration rewarded by the national grid and (at last) supported by government to improve energy efficiency.

Chris Kolek

Image by Chris Dimond

A vision for rural UK should include:

1) An holistic approach to development where local self-sufficiency is encouraged through sustainable, mixed –use developments, are created and powered by renewable energy solutions e.g. bio-mass, food waste, farm waste.

2) Increase in ‘quality’ jobs through better / wider use of broadband and encouragement of more home-based working or in live / work unity

3) Retail offer to challenge the dominance of large supermarket behemoths

4) Much increased local involvement in planning for the future – based on knowledge and experience NOT political clout.

5) Increased participation in future planning by young people (i.e. below 60)

John Passmore

My vision for rural areas is of truly sustainable rural communities that meet the three pillars of sustainability:

social

economic

environmental

They will have a balanced population in terms of age and skill sets. They will be prosperous with a diverse economic base and they will be taking real steps to enhance and protect their environments. This will be done by promoting co-operation and partnerships among rural communities throughout the UK

Ruth Kendal

ADAS UK Ltd

By 2020 I would like:

Local employment

Good Schools

Sustainability

Healthy Living – Local Health Facilities

Locally produced food

Good leisure facilities

Clean energy

Waste totally reduced

Cultural & Heritage activities

Access to countryside

Cheap transport

Doug Phillips

Sustainable communities encouraged.

More affordable rural housing provided.

Better rural transport provided / available.

Access to services for rural communities

Support for rural businesses

Vibrant facilities being supported by local people

Better provision available for older people that live in rural areas.

More activities / facilities provided for youth in market towns and rural areas.

Support for farming communities

Better use of community assets by diversifying uses i.e. Post Office in village halls.

Ann Tweney

Oxfordshire Rural Community Council

Market Towns must provide small but sustainable communities with sufficient infrastructure for the increasing numbers moving into the countryside. This means enlarging small villages on suitable road or rail networks rather than enlarging existing ones. Ownership and pride of place is the key to vandalism, petty crime, litter and voluntary worklessness. A different approach to housing requirements will provide affordable, small but well-designed dwellings for the young as well as the elderly, who wish to be with their own age cohort.

Canals and mariners are the largest providers of internal holidays and education about different areas in our nation.

Carol M Chapman

Market Drayton

Shropshire

Communities that are thriving & alive

More long term sustainable lifestyles that are embedded into the communities.

Environmental technologies that are efficient, affordable & available.

For market town initiatives to be thriving in themselves – need for external funding is reduced. They are part of core funding packages.

That opportunities for employment in rural areas is increased.

That ‘local’ initiatives become interconnected so that benefits are to a wider area & thus more sustainable in themselves.

Sharing best practice really happens in a way that means initiatives are copied & lessons learnt – there is still a lot of ‘re-inventing of the wheel’.

That diversity is welcomed & celebrated. We can all learn from others.

Isobel Hall