Country at risk of becoming "playground for rich" says Rics

Posted: 08 Feb 2007 10:13:21 GMT

The British countryside is at risk of becoming "a playground of the rich" within a generation, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has warned

The British countryside is at risk of becoming "a playground of the rich" within a generation, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has warned.

Housing shortages and second-home investment in rural areas are pricing out many people who have been born and raised in the country warned Rics.

The number of urbanites selling up and moving to the country rose to 105,000 during 2005, up 25 per cent on 2000.

"The pressures on the countryside have seen a manifest increase over recent years," said Brian Berry, head of public policy at Rics.

"However, the supply of housing in rural areas has actually been moving in the opposite direction with a four per cent fall in housing completions between 2002 and 2005.

The institution said that much rural brownfield land was going unused but added that the government should force more greenfield building if necessary.

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