Save our villages

Help us halt the decline of rural England – get involved in the Federation's Save our villages campaign.

Rural village graphic

Save our villages

England’s countryside is in crisis. Housing in rural areas is more expensive than in cities and towns, and often way beyond the means of many local residents.

Take action

Write to your local councillor

Add yourself to our supporter map

Read the Rural Pledge: Affordable homes for local people

Find out more

Read the campaign briefing.

Help save our villages

It's time to stand up for rural England. We need all rural MPs and councillors to back this campaign. We must ensure housing need is fully understood in every rural area.

Add yourself to our interactive supporter map

Write to your MP

Write to your local councillor

Write to your local newspaper's letters page

Join the Save our villages Facebook page

Action for housing associations

Housing associations have a key role to play in this campaign. Together we can ensure enough new rural homes are built to end the housing crisis in our villages.

Add your organisation to our interactive supporter map

Sign post

 

What we want

The Federation wants to halt this decline of rural England. Our three-step plan seeks to ensure that housing need is understood and dealt with at a local level, ensuring mixed, sustainable and working villages.

Our plan

1. Every local authority puts in place a system to ensure it fully understands housing need in its rural areas.

2. It publishes an action plan to show how it will meet that need. 

3. To ensure the rural housing crisis is addressed not just now but also for future generations, steps one and two are refreshed at least once every three years.

More details about the campaign and what we are asking of local authorities is available in our online publication Save our villages: A short guide for rural authorities.

Local authority supporters

Almost 40 rural councils are now backing our campaign and have signed up to the three-step plan in their local area.

List of local authorities

Has your council signed up?

If not, please send a email to your local councillors asking them to consider backing the campaign.

Email your councillor(s)

Rural home

 

Rural Housing Film

A place to call home: Clare's story

Watch our video which tells the story of Clare Dixon, 30, and her struggle to get an affordable home in rural Norfolk.

The video was launched at a reception in Parliament on 21 March 2012 attended by rural MPs, councillors, housing associations and others who have supported the Save Our Villages campaign.


Join the 'Save our villages' Facebook group

If you use Facebook and want to keep up to date with the latest movements on the campaign, 'Like' the Save our villages Facebook page (left).

You can also follow the more general news and views from the Federation by following our press team on Twitter.

Sign-up for campaign updates

Add yourself to our interactive online supporter map to be kept up to date with our lastest campaign actions and activities.

Add yourself to our interactive supporter map

New rural housing film launched in Parliament

29 March 2012

The Federation has launched a new short film telling the story of Clare Dixon and her struggle to get an affordable home in rural Norfolk. It was unveiled to a group of 60 MPs, councillors, housing associations and rural campaigners at a House of Commons reception on 21 March 2012.

Press highlights

Rural exodus leads to dozens of village schools closing
Independent on Sunday - 4 September 2011

"An exodus of families from the countryside, priced out of village life, threatens the future of schools, pubs and shops across rural Britain."

Emmerdale characters would be priced out in real life
Daily Mail - Dec 30 2010

"Most of the characters in farming soap Emmerdale would not be able to afford to live in their country homes because of high prices in the rural housing market."

Supporter Map

About the map

Our online supporter map is aimed at local authorities, housing associations, MPs, councillors and members of the public who want to halt the decline of rural England.

Get on the map

People across the country have backed our campaign. Why don't you!

Add yourself

Is your council on the map?

If not, please send a email to your local councillor asking them to back this campaign.

Email your councillor

Connect and contact us

Contact us

Head office: 020 7067 1010

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