Schools close as families are priced out of rural areas

boyse7en

Rural schools closing has been an issue for years in the coastal/ rural area I live in.

Large numbers of people retiring to rural and coastal areas cause an increase in housing costs, pricing locals out of the market, as well as reducing the number of children of school age. Schools become uneconomic and close.
A lack of employment (especially full time, year-round jobs, rather than seasonal work) and higher educational opportunities also encourages young people and families to decamp to other areas of the country, further reducing the 'stock' of children.

Really2

boyse7en wrote: »

Rural schools closing has been an issue for years in the coastal/ rural area I live in.

Large numbers of people retiring to rural and coastal areas cause an increase in housing costs, pricing locals out of the market, as well as reducing the number of children of school age. Schools become uneconomic and close.
A lack of employment (especially full time, year-round jobs, rather than seasonal work) and higher educational opportunities also encourages young people and families to decamp to other areas of the country, further reducing the 'stock' of children.

Spot on having come from a rural town where the average age was 55.:eek: I can confrirm the only thing holding up prices is
A) babyboomers
b) people wanting to retire in the country side.

there is nothing for family's in rural areas now.

lostinrates

Its touches all aspects of village life. Just now I've ushered people out of the house after a ''meeting'' about the future of our annual village events. The people who generally run these things are getting older: the people who might have replaced them have children younger than there predecesors did at that age, mking the evening organising meetings etc hrder to get too and the time needed to run what have become quite ''involved'' events that raise money and provide social contact for the elderly in our parish, and then there is a massive drop off in age.

boyse7en

lostinrates wrote: »

Its touches all aspects of village life. Just now I've ushered people out of the house after a ''meeting'' about the future of our annual village events. The people who generally run these things are getting older: the people who might have replaced them have children younger than there predecesors did at that age, mking the evening organising meetings etc hrder to get too and the time needed to run what have become quite ''involved'' events that raise money and provide social contact for the elderly in our parish, and then there is a massive drop off in age.

My Dad helped out on all sorts of village events when I was young (Carnival, Twinning, PTA, Historical Society, Earl of Rone (a folk music/historical weekend) and he was in his early forties.
He is still helping out on some of them (not that he particularly wants to), and he is in his late seventies now, but there are no young/middle aged people who are willing or able to take over the organisational responsibilities.

CLAPTON

I ws born in London but moved away some years ago.
I now can't afford to move back and buy a decent house there.
I think that only people born in London or their immediate off spring should be allowed to buy property there.

lostinrates

CLAPTON wrote: »

I ws born in London but moved away some years ago.
I now can't afford to move back and buy a decent house there.
I think that only people born in London or their immediate off spring should be allowed to buy property there.

. My family are from Cotswolds and Chealsea, DH's London home was in Hampstead. so, that would suit us: all three areas are more expensive than anywhere we hope to buy

Mr_Matey

CLAPTON wrote: »

I ws born in London but moved away some years ago.
I now can't afford to move back and buy a decent house there.
I think that only people born in London or their immediate off spring should be allowed to buy property there.

By that logic you shouldn't be able to buy a property anywhere else in the world outside London as you weren't born there.

Hope you're not one of those who plan on retiring to Spain or France...

lostinrates

boyse7en wrote: »

My Dad helped out on all sorts of village events when I was young (Carnival, Twinning, PTA, Historical Society, Earl of Rone (a folk music/historical weekend) and he was in his early forties.
He is still helping out on some of them (not that he particularly wants to), and he is in his late seventies now, but there are no young/middle aged people who are willing or able to take over the organisational responsibilities.

Yes similar, but there are young people, some. Its a mixture of time (fewer non-working wives with some spare time, and the younger child thing) and the issue of the old guard, which can be a harder barrier to break than those defending their roles realise. Some of ur events have become SO sophisticated it would be hard for many to take over without a drop in standard. FWIW I'd love simpler, more ''homey/villagey'' events; but the old guard see it as a drop in standards.

lostinrates

Mr_Matey wrote: »

By that logic you shouldn't be able to buy a property anywhere else in the world outside London as you weren't born there.

Hope you're not one of those who plan on retiring to Spain or France...

Or perhaps the poster's humour/irony is harder to spot than usual?

Mr_Matey

lostinrates wrote: »

Or perhaps the poster's humour/irony is harder to spot than usual?

Haha. Perhaps my brain's still on holiday.