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ONE IN TEN SHEPWAY RURAL HOMES ARE UNFIT TO LIVE IN

According to the latest Halifax English Rural Housing Index, o­ne in ten rural homes in Shepway are unfit to live in.

The figures show that the rural local authorities with the most unfit housing are Pendle (17%), Shepway (10%), West Dorset (9%) and Thanet (8%).

Unfitness is a more common problem in southern rural England with 8 out of the 10 rural local authorities with the highest proportions of unfit dwellings in the South East, South West and East of England.

3.6% of housing in rural areas is classed as unfit for dwelling in. This is slightly lower than in urban areas where 4.6% of housing is classed as unfit for dwelling in.

The average property price in rural areas is 6.7 times average annual earnings compared with a ratio of 5.6 in urban areas.

The average level of house prices in English rural areas is £208,699. This is 19% higher than the average urban house price of £176,115.

House prices in rural areas have increased, o­n average, by 89% in the last five years, from £110,237 in 2000 to £208,691 in 2005. This is almost identical to the 90% rise in urban house prices from £92,559 in 2000 to £176,115 in 2005.