Photo: Mayor David Skaith at Ripon Cathedral speaking at the latest North Yorkshire Rural Commission meeting.
York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s members have approved the Rural Action Plan, a landmark ten-year strategy to support rural communities.
Around 94% of land in York and North Yorkshire is classed as rural. People who live in those rural areas face higher than average living costs, older and colder housing stock and persistent digital connectivity blackspots.
Those challenges come at a time when farms, which make up the majority of rural areas (68%), struggle to turn a profit.
A report commissioned by David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, found that more than half of commercial farms are economically unsustainable.
David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
"For too long, too many of our rural areas have been left behind and face deep challenges, without the tools to fix them.
"We need to turn them into places of genuine opportunity, where more people can afford to put down roots, find good work, and build a future in the places they love.
"Our Rural Action Plan is a new approach, and it’s a promise to give our communities a powerful voice and ensure they can shape their story."
The plan builds on the work on North Yorkshire Council and partners as part of the North Yorkshire Rural Commission, which was the first of its kind to be launched nationally to tackle a range of long-standing issues affecting countryside communities.
The commission, which was established in the autumn of 2019, looked at issues including the economy and job opportunities, transport, housing, schools and education and digital connectivity.
North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said:
“As a council, we are committed to helping to support our rural communities. This is clearly shown by us becoming one of the first local authorities nationally to introduce a 100 per cent premium on council tax bills for second homes to try to free up housing for local people.
“The work of the North Yorkshire Rural Commission was invaluable to provide an even greater insight into the issues faced by people living and working in the countryside.
“The new Rural Action Plan will build on this work, and we will work closely within the combined authority to bring lasting benefits to our countryside communities.”
To combat rural challenges going forward, the Rural Action Plan published today outlines key actions for the Combined Authority to meet by 2035, including:
- At least 5,000 New Rural Homes: Prioritising affordable, community-led housing in towns and villages, alongside devolved retrofit funding to tackle fuel poverty.
- 20% Rural Economic Growth: Creating higher-skilled, better-paid jobs by driving growth in food innovation, clean energy, and creative industries.
- Farming & Environmental Sustainability: Helping more than half of farms achieve economic sustainability. This will come partly by linking them directly to public sector supply chains like schools and hospitals.
- Enhanced Infrastructure: Eradicating digital and mobile blackspots, deploying targeted rural crime prevention, and investing in transport to make it easier for people in rural areas to walk, wheel and cycle.
Members voted through the Rural Action Plan at a Cabinet Meeting in Northallerton on Thursday.