The National Rural Conference 2025

Bookings are now officially open for the National Rural Conference 2025, which will take place online from Monday 15 to Thursday 18 September.
This is the Rural Services Network’s flagship event of the year, bringing together rural decision-makers, practitioners, and advocates for four days of live, interactive sessions focused on the future of rural communities.
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The pandemic property boom is pricing locals out of the British countryside

An article in the Guardian sets out that rural areas are reportedly suffering from an undersupply of affordable housing due to the rise of second home ownership

The sudden rise in demand of rural homes is amplifying an already ‘dire’ housing crisis within areas such as Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.

The pandemic has triggered a reappraisal of city living as many began working from home, with websites such as Rightmove over the past 18 months seeing double the amount of rural home enquiries by city dwellers.

A report in the Times similarly warns that the rise in holiday rentals is leaving some parts of the country as ’ghost towns’.

Full articles:

The Guardian - The pandemic property boom is pricing locals out of the British countryside

The Times - Holiday rental boom creates ghost towns
* Please be aware a Times subscription is required in order to access the full article