Future Society in 2024: 21st Century 'Good Life' - Rural Economy ...

7.7 Plenary response
7.7.1 Community/public response to living in the scenario
This was seen as an attractive scenario by the team looking at it. Greater work mobility within each
week with teleworking and commuting combined as the norm will reduce transience and movement
overall. Thus there will be less work-related migration away from home and to other areas. In other
words, it becomes easier for those born in the regions to find work in their locality. More economic
clusters mean better services. In addition, there may be better local communities enabled in a
positive way by the spread of technologies and the more settled communities.
However, on the flipside there will be a loss of countryside, a loss of tourism, the price of
demographic homogeneity (largely family driven) and delocalisation, which may negatively affect
some market towns. Additionally it could foster a greater sense of insecurity and result in energy
inefficiency due to the amount of travelling and movement.
7.7.2 Implications for Defra/policy making
This team provided three headings:
i) Policies needed:
These would need to encourage localism in engagement and production.
More flexible planning regimes would be required to adapt to local conditions and encourage variety.
Policy would have to encourage housing development, planning, with a combination of private sector
investment and public support.
Respect for local difference and the rates of change would be vital.
ii)
Political philosophy
This scenario is based on a liberal market model with intervention to ensure that services are
provided across the social spectrum.
iii)
Political enthusiasm
Local authorities and RDAs are self interested, but are able to engage the support of local voluntary
groups and civil society due to common goals of community strengthening and support.
This vision would appeal greatly to small businesses but not to preservationists. More support for
enterprise and small business start up is required and Defra must work in a ‘joined up’ way with other
government departments.
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