Cheap homes a rural revival

BUILDING just a handful of new affordable homes for families could halt the cycle of decline in rural areas, according to a study.

Schools, pubs and post offices are closing and by 2039 the average age of half of the rural population will be 65, the National Housing Federation found.

It said in Holy Island, Northumberland, building four homes helped keep a primary school open. It added: “Just a handful of homes can transform rural communities.”