Posted by Lindsay on 02/11/2009
The Ageing Rural Population in the East Midlands The East Midlands is, maybe surprisingly, the third most rural of the English regions. Widely recognised for its ‘three-city’ economic centre; comprising Nottingham, Leicester and Derby, it is counterbalanced by huge rural swathes across Lincolnshire, the Derbyshire Peak District and the Northern districts of Northamptonshire. The proximity of the regions rural landscape to its business centres has created a commuter culture and concomitant competition for housing in the rural districts; especially those that fringe the urban centres. The effect has been compounded by a prolonged net flow of younger rural residents to the cities where both housing and high value employment are more plentiful. Recent research by the National Housing Federation (Home Truths 2008) combined with population statistics clearly demonstrates the impact. The result is an overall rural population which is ageing faster than its urban counterpart. This demographic shift is and will continue to have profound impact on the rural community structure – including closure of local rural schools, loss of rural services, increased travel for existing residents and pressure on suburban service providers to meet the needs of the rural population. The options in addressing these issues are wide ranging. Practical steps include: item expansion of the rural housing programme to encourage the development of more affordable rural housing maximisation of the skilled older population through voluntary activity and business development development of innovative and social business models of service delivery to ensure retention of local amenities. Regional examples: Practical regional examples include Elston Village shop, a volunteer run rural social enterprise in Nottinghamshire http://elstonvillageshop.co.uk/default.aspx Use of existing community facilities for the co-location of secondary services such as convenience stores http://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/case studies/show all
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