Why?
There is little doubt that England’s ‘green and pleasant land’ is one of our greatest assets; it is the reason we flock to the countryside and coastal areas whenever we can, and many of us dream of retiring to rural or coastal idyll one day. But there are many challenges that, if left unaddressed, could threaten the future of our non-urban communities, such as:
The House of Lords Select Committee report on ‘A Time for a Strategy for the Rural Economy’ (2017-2019) stated:
…Successive governments have underrated the contribution rural economies can make to the nation’s prosperity and wellbeing. They have applied policies which were largely devised for urban and suburban economies, and which are often inappropriate for rural England. This must change. With rural England at a point of major transition, a different approach is urgently needed.”
Furthermore:
The urgent challenge is to encourage the new opportunities, release unfulfilled potential and enhance the contribution which rural England can make to the nation while retaining its distinct character…”
The A Different Approach (‘ADA’) vision is to encourage, promote and actively deliver a range of new and innovative housing solutions in our rural communities – to help combat the challenges identified by aforementioned Select Committee Report whilst also providing affordable workplaces to ensure wherever possible a thriving and dynamic economic future for rural areas.