The Valuation of Rural Amenities Felix Hammond Jessica

The Valuation of Rural Amenities Felix Hammond, Jessica Lamond, David Proverbs

Content • • • Introduction The affordability of rural property Key rural amenities Case study locations Preliminary data analysis Conclusion

Housing Affordability most expensive rural local authorities Halifax (2008) Housing less affordable in rural areas. Halifax Rural Housing Review.

Housing affordability most expensive rural local authorities outside south east Halifax (2008) Housing less affordable in rural areas. Halifax Rural Housing Review.

Concepts of Rurality Rural means different things to different people Positive Negative Rural idyll “picture postcard” Farming country, noisy and smelly Hunting, shooting, fishing and country estates Poverty and lack of opportunity Relaxed pace of life Slow and backward Close knit community Unfriendly, closed to outsiders, nosey Getting away from it all Lack of access and isolation

Benefits of living in the countryside • • Better quality of life on most measures Older age profile Net in migration Fewer homeless More healthy lifestyles Better educational achievement Lower crime Less deprivation Source: Commission for Rural Communities (2008) State of the countryside 2008. Commission for Rural Communities.

Disadvantages of living in the countryside • Worse access to services • Worse housing affordability • Concentration of age related diseases and problem • Polarisation with pockets of great deprivation Source: Commission for Rural Communities (2008) State of the countryside 2008. Commission for Rural Communities.

Rural complexity • National studies mask the impact of differences between rural areas and polarisation. • Previous studies looked at local authority level mixing large towns with small hamlets and isolated dwellings. • To tackle rural issues research must recognise differences in rural areas

Key rural amenities Ø Views Ø Open space Ø Peace and Quiet ØAccessibility ØClean Air ØGood Neighbourhood

Case study areas Bridgnorth most expensive rural local authority outside the South East. No clear commuting destination. Low average income. Chiltern most expensive rural Local Authority. London commuter belt. Extremely wealthy.

ONS/CLG Urban/Rural Classification Settlement Urban Sparse Rural Less sparse Sparse Less sparse Small town and fringe village dispersed

Property Sales by type and urban/rural category for Bridgnorth

Property Sales by type and urban/rural category for Chiltern

Mean property price by type and urban/rural category for Bridgnorth

Mean property price by type and urban/rural category for Chiltern

Summary • • • Preliminary findings Rural complexity Affordability or availability Different type of property in rural areas Different valuation of amenities likely Not homogeneous