COUNTRYSIDE campaigners have warned that hundreds of village pubs and shops could close unless more is done to address a shortage of affordable housing in the region’s rural areas.

A study published today by a coalition of campaign groups, including the Rural Shops Alliance, predicts that up to 650 country pubs and 400 village shops will close during the next 12 months in the UK.

The research was carried out in co-operation with the National Housing Federation and the British Beer and Pub Association.

Experts warn that families are finding it harder than ever to move into rural areas, because homes are being bought by wealthy commuters and second-home owners.

The report warns that the lack of a settled community damages local businesses, and could “plunge traditional village life into terminal decline”.

Julie Gamble, the regional manager for the not-for-profit National Housing Federation in North Yorkshire, said: “Many of the region’s villages are in real danger of losing their unique identity.

“Pubs and shops are often the heart of these rural communities.

“We desperately need to build more affordable homes for local people. Otherwise they will continue to be priced out of rural areas and the shops and pubs they support will vanish with them.”

She highlighted the case of The King’s Head pub, in Gunnerside, Swaledale, as an example of a business which overcame the challenges posed by the downturn in the rural economy.

The pub almost closed six months ago, but was refurbished with support from the local community, and has been revitalised as a thriving village pub offering facilities such as wireless internet access.

The study concluded that rural house prices tend to be well above the national average, while rural incomes are well below the national average.

The affordability gap has widened rather than narrowed over the past five years, and in some rural areas of North Yorkshire house prices are more than 15 times local incomes.

For more information, visit housing.org.uk/north