Responding to the Chancellor’s Spending Review, CPRE chief executive Roger Mortlock welcomed some measures but warned they risk falling short without targeted rural investment.

Mortlock praised additional funding for the Affordable Housing Programme but said it would only make a difference if directed at the rural housing crisis.

“Too often, ‘affordable’ means 80% of market value,” he said. “We’re calling the government to redefine affordability in line with average local incomes.”

On transport, Mortlock questioned the impact of frozen bus fares amid widespread service cuts.

“What use is a cheap fare if there’s no bus to take?” he asked, highlighting that a fifth of rural bus routes have disappeared since 2020. “Rural areas get half the public transport funding per head compared to towns and cities”