The Countryside Alliance has submitted detailed evidence to the Labour Rural Research Group’s inquiry into the future of the rural economy, warning that too much national policy is still designed around urban assumptions rather than the realities of countryside life and business.
The evidence raises concerns about the growing financial pressures on rural businesses, including the impact of higher living costs in the countryside, rising employer National Insurance contributions and the continued burden of business rates on pubs, hospitality businesses and rural retailers. We also reiterate our opposition to changes to inheritance tax reliefs introduced in recent years, arguing that the long-term interests of food security and the wider rural economy would be best served by reversing the policy entirely.
The submission highlights the enormous contribution made by countryside activities to the national economy. The latest research on shooting estimates that it contributes £3.3 billion annually to the UK economy, supports 67,000 full-time equivalent jobs and delivers major conservation benefits across millions of hectares of land. The Alliance also points to the economic and wellbeing benefits generated by hunting and other rural pursuits.
Housing affordability and availability are identified as major barriers to rural economic growth, with second homes and short-term holiday lets exacerbating workforce shortages in many rural and coastal communities. The Alliance argues that the government must ensure rural housing policy supports local labour markets and the long-term sustainability of rural services and businesses.
The submission also expresses concern over aspects of the Government’s Land Use Framework, particularly proposals that could undermine agricultural production and further restrict shooting activities despite their economic and environmental contribution. The Alliance stresses that food security and reduced reliance on imports must remain central considerations in future land use policy.
Rural crime remains another major concern. Drawing on findings from the Countryside Alliance’s Rural Crime Survey, the submission notes widespread frustration over inadequate policing and underreporting of offences including machinery theft, fly-tipping and hare poaching. The Alliance highlights its calls for stronger enforcement measures and increased support for the National Rural Crime Unit, alongside the launch of its new interactive rural crime map.
Concluding the submission, the Countryside Alliance argues that rural economies are “fundamental to food production, environmental delivery, tourism, energy security and community resilience” and calls for government policy to recognise rural businesses as essential contributors to national prosperity.