The UKs Affordable Rural Housing Commission has now published its final report and RICS believes that new rural housing is needed but it needs to be regionally distinctive, adapting to the individual requirements of each community.

Housing needs to be part of a wider programme of encouraging economic activity in rural areas in which all sectors of housing tenure are catered for and the economic, social and environmental considerations are addressed.

The proposal to require councils to give planning permission for new houses destined for use as second homes in rural hot spots aims to restrict rather than promote choice.

RICS believes that by restricting choice this policy fails to address the real issue facing the housing crisis in rural areas; the provision of more homes, particularly affordable ones.

Such a policy does not allow for this and also ignores the importance of linking rural housing and local service requirements together.