1. DEEP RURAL LOCALITIES
A research project undertaken by the WRO, December 2008 - April 2009
Sustainable Regeneration for Rural Communities Seminar
Trinity College, Carmarthen
28 April 2010

2. Introducing the Wales Rural Observatory
• Independent research on social, economic and environmental topics
in Wales.
• Technical Assistance Budget, RDP for Wales (2007-13)
• Research outputs inform the development of policy by WAG.
• Current work programme:
- research on rural issues
- collection, management & spatial analysis of rural data
- rural policy evaluation
- tracking of rural research (UK, Europe and beyond)
- rural policy seminars

3. Overview of the 2003-06 work programme

4. Overview of the phase three work programme (2007-13)
analysis of existing social,
economic & environmental data
household
survey
(2007,10, 13)
survey of
services
(2007,10, 13)
survey of
businesses
(2007,10, 13)
local food
procurement
migrant workers
farmers’ markets
community
growing
rural impacts of
global recession
‘deep rural’
communities
older people
minority ethnic
groups
web-
based
info.
system
survey of
farm h’holds
(2010,2013)
2007-92010-13
quality of life

5. The ‘Deep Rural’ Localities study
• Background
– ‘One Wales’ statement and ‘deep rural’ communities
• Objectives
– To explore experiences of living in deep rural communities
– To examine issues surrounding the delivery of services to ‘deep
rural’ communities

6. Methodology
• Defining ‘deep rural’ areas
– Communities with fewer than 1,000 households located at least
30 minutes drive time from a settlement with at least 10,000
residents
– Regional coverage
 Llŷn Peninsula
 North Powys
 South Powys
 North Pembrokeshire
– Refinement of definition
 Population size of potential communities (between180-500 households)
 Evidence of limited provision of services (fewer than 5 of 12 key services)

7. The four ‘deep rural’ case-studies

8. Methodology
• Five key phases:
- Scoping visits
- Household survey
- Follow-on interviews
- Youth focus groups
- Survey of service providers

9. Locality & Demographics
• Survey sample: 55% ‘working-age’ households; 39% ‘senior citizen’
households; 6% ‘other’ category.
• 23% of all residents surveyed had an annual hhd income of less
than £10k
• ‘in-movers’ among the highest earners in sample, while longer-term
residents more likely to be on lower incomes.
• 53% of all respondents lived in local area for more than 20 years,
but indications of high rates of inward-migration.
• High proportion of home-owners without mortgages (62%).
• Under-35s and low-income households (earning under £10k)
more likely to live in rented accommodation.

10. Community and Culture
• Quality of life
- 90% of residents satisfied with local areas as places to live.
- Frequent positive responses: peace and quiet / slower pace of
life / feelings of community / quality of surroundings.
- Common complaints concerned with lack of services / decline or
closure of existing services.
- 94% of all respondents rated quality of life as ‘good’ or ‘very
good’.

11. Social Capital and Community
• Community feeling
- 86% of all residents felt that there was a strong ‘sense of community’
in their local areas.
“We have still got a strong community. Everybody knows everybody in our
area. It doesn’t take long – if somebody moves in you make a point of
acknowledging them” [Llangammarch]
“There is a strong community, and what’s interesting for Dolanog is that
the community centre renovation (…) has resulted in tremendous community
spirit being generated” [Llanfihangel]
“I never found myself so welcomed in an area as I was by the Welsh-
speaking community” [Clydau]
- Strong perceptions of community solidarity and community trust in all
study areas.
- Highest among residents aged 65 or over.

12. Social Capital and Community
• Community attachment
- 4 out of every 5 residents surveyed considered themselves to be
a member of local community.
- Feelings of community attachment highest among respondents
aged 65 or over, long-standing residents and Welsh speakers.
- 62% of residents surveyed regularly participated in community
activities
- Community engagement highest among ‘35-64’ & ‘65 or over’
age categories.
- Overall, under-35s less likely to participate in
community activities

13. Social Capital and Community
• Family & social networks
- High degree of social contact with family, friends and neighbours
in all study areas
- 3 out of every 5 respondents had more than 6 close friends or
family members living within 5 mile radius.
- Residents in Aberdaron & Llanfihangel more likely to have a
larger local network of friends and family.
- Evidence of strong social network structures among Welsh
speakers and long-standing residents
- Social networks of ‘in-movers’ weaker in comparison – 69% had
fewer than 5 close friends or family members living within a 5 mile
radius.

14. Services
• Assessing the general provision of services
- 36% rated general service provision as either ‘poor’ or very
‘poor’; a further 37% considered it ‘satisfactory’
- 75% of all respondents felt that a school was ‘essential’ to their
local area
- 82% of respondents considered a post office to be ‘essential’ to
their local area
- Community halls, public houses, churches and chapel highly
valued in all communities

15. Services
• Accessing services
- Residents generally ‘satisfied’ with access to GP surgeries and
dental services
- 63% of respondents rated the provision of hospitals as either
‘poor’ or ‘very poor’
- 42% of residents travelled over 30 miles to a hospital
- Local shops well used, but limited choice and higher prices
- Access to leisure / recreation / cultural facilities problematic for
young people
- Older generation heavily reliant on help to access services

16. • Communication Services
- 74% of all households had access to a home computer
- Gap identified between demand and supply for broadband
services
- Overall, respondents rated mobile telephone reception as either
‘patchy’ or ‘poor’
Services

17. Transport
• Public transport services generally rated as ‘poor’
• Private vehicles considered ‘essential’ for living in their
local areas
• 78% of residents owned one or more vehicles
• Overall perception that costs of living in rural areas
higher than in urban areas
- fuel costs
- necessity of (multiple) car ownership

18. Conclusions
• Identified problems
– Withdrawal of retail outlets and services
– Centralisation of services
– Transport
– High costs of living
– Communications and power supplies
– Council Tax

19. Conclusions
• Balancing quality of life and service provision
– High levels of satisfaction with deep rural areas as places to live
– Residents prepared to accept lower levels of provision in
exchange for quality of life and sense of community
• Sustainability of rural communities
– Declining levels of service provision challenging the sustainability
of deep rural communities
Schools, shops, affordable housing, local employment
opportunities
Ageing communities but future problems for older people

20. Conclusions
• Policy intervention?
– Residents generally ‘satisfied’ but ‘poor’ provision
– Rights to minimum levels of service provision?
– People ask for help?

21. For more information about the project or to download the full report,
please visit our website: www.walesruralobservatory.org.uk
or e-mail: OwensNE@cf.ac.uk / KitchenL@cf.ac.uk