News / Report reaffirms rural inequity
NEW research has reiterated the economic and social inequality faced by people living in Scotland’s rural communities, such as Shetland.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise said on Wednesday that the income required to enjoy a “socially acceptable” standard of living in rural Scotland is 10 to 30 per cent higher than the rest of the UK.
The research, entitled Minimum Income Standard for Remote Rural Scotland 2016, further highlighted the increased cost islanders face when it comes to transport, heating and paying for goods.
The report also reaffirmed that better broadband provision in rural areas would benefit social and economic growth, with more jobs potentially stemming from the availability of high-speed Internet.
“Despite some easing of costs, the continuing high cost of living in remote rural Scotland, and its exposure to any renewed rise of energy costs, makes their mitigation as urgent as ever,” the report concluded.
“A framework for addressing these costs needs to consider issues around energy costs, shopping costs and travel costs in a joined up way, which takes account of the influence of local infrastructure and the development of jobs and communities.”
The financial difficulties faced by rural communities in Shetland isn’t something new, with the recent Commission on Tackling Inequalitie bringing into sharp focus the problems experienced in the isles.
It revealed that an estimated 43 per cent of households live in fuel poverty, while one in seven of the overall Shetland population lives in a “fragile” area – Fair Isle, Fetlar, Foula, Papa Stour, Northmavine, Skerries, Unst, Whalsay and Yell.
These areas were deemed to be at risk of being affected by a number factors, including population change, employment, average household income and distance from mid-size services.
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