Tan Llan Metalwork's Gerallt Evans talks of housing struggle

Jul 28 2011 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

YOUNG people in rural Wales are being driven out of their local communities due to a lack of affordable housing and local opportunities.

These are the views of members of the Wales Young Farmers’ Club (YFC) speaking at a reception at the Royal Welsh Show on Monday.

And their opinions have been backed by a Conwy Valley businessman who says he considered moving his family away after he was refused the right to build a home in the area he grew up in.

Members of the YFC have been sharing their views and aspirations with rural housing enablers, with the overwhelming majority saying they want to remain in their local communities, close to friends and families, but that lack of affordable housing will mean they either have to move out of local communities, or remain living at their parents’ home.

The housing chiefs have been carrying out research to ensure young rural people’s views are at the forefront of policy makers’ minds and to gather evidence to guarantee rural issues are considered in terms of affordable housing delivery.

Farmer and blacksmith Gerallt Evans from Pandy Tudur near Llanrwst told the Weekly News: “I considered moving my family away after I was refused planning permission twice to build my own home in the area I was brought up in.

“We have our own home now in Pandy Tudur, after we were able to buy a repossessed ex-council house, but it is not big enough as I work from home with Tan Llan Metalworks.

“If we were allowed to build our own home there would be room to start a farm too, which my wife Paula would run.

“I spent over £4,000 trying to get the permission to build back in 2007 and we spent two years living in a garage on my father’s farm during that time with four-month-old twins.

“Councillors who refused our planning application suggested we should live in Dolgarrog as there was affordable housing there, but my business and life is miles away in Pandy Tudur.

“Nothing seems to have changed since then to encourage young people to stay in rural areas.”

Susie Abson, rural housing enabler for Mid Powys, added: “It’s a sad fact that many young people in rural Wales will struggle to access a home of their own here due to higher than average house prices, low rural incomes, difficulty getting a mortgage or saving a deposit, as well as there being too few homes to buy or rent in rural communities.

“We stand to lose this economically active generation, and more affordable homes for young people would ensure a vibrant mix of people could remain in our communities, promoting culture, diversity and supporting the local economy.”

Reports indicate that the average first time buyer will be 37 years old. Rural house prices are mostly withstanding the fall in the market and this means many young people will need to save in excess of £20,000 as a deposit to access a first time mortgage and have a household income in the region of £40,000 to buy the average house in Wales.

This proves that young people on lower rural incomes require affordable homes to ensure they can choose to live and stay in the rural communities they have connections to.

samantha.castle