Levels of contenment are higher in the countryside, according to a new survey.
More than 4,000 people took part in the first National Countryside Survey by NFU Countryside, launched at the end of 2006 to determine the local and national issues affecting rural communities.
NFU Countryside says that the survey highlights how important it is to support rural communities with the loss of services, fly-tipping and fear of crime rated as the worst offenders.
Commenting on the results of the survey, NFU Countryside’s Mark Howard said “A healthy 91 per cent of respondents are satisfied with their lives in the countryside but many consider issues such as the closure of local services, rural crime and the problems caused by litter/fly-tipping as having a negative impact on their everyday lives.
“The results show a massive 77 per cent of rural dwellers use their local post office on a regular basis. A further 62 per cent agree this service is essential for the future of rural communities, which further highlights the need for people to back national campaigns in support of local services.”
Despite government statistics suggesting rural areas continue to experience lower levels of crime than urban areas, the survey shows that in the last twelve months, 16 per cent of people have been affected by rural crime, with theft accounting for 48 per cent of crimes committed. East Anglia and the South East are the worst affected regions.
The survey has also revealed that public opinion of UK farming is extremely positive among the rural community. Ninety per cent expressed a positive view towards the contribution that farmers make to the countryside and a healthy majority (79 per cent) feel farmers should be paid for environmental measures on their land.
