Town and country share worries

6 March 2000



Town and country share worries

COUNTRY people and their urban counterparts share the same concerns about their quality of life, reports new research published on Monday (6 March).

A study commissioned by the Council for the Protection of Rural England and the Worldwide Fund for Nature brought together randomly selected groups from the countryside and cities.

The group found that issues such as vandalism, drugs and facilities for teenagers concerned both town and country people.

Tony Burton, assistant director of the CPRE told the Radio 4 Farming Today programme the study made a valuable contribution to the Governments forthcoming Rural White Paper.

“Were very concerned that whenever we talk about rural or urban policy, so much of the debate seems to be driven by caricatures, and polarised views which seem to drive a wedge between town and country.

“In reality theres so much they1ve got in common. We need politicians to look at the things which bind town and countryside and it was important this was highlighted.”

Mr Burton said the study provided a technique to bring town and country dwellers together to achieve improvements in the ways policies are drawn up.