Much of South Gloucestershire is essentially rural in character with rural areas covering some 70% of the area. A fifth of the population of South Gloucestershire lives in this rural area which is made up of approximately 50 relatively dispersed villages and two traditional market towns (Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury). Almost one third of the land mass of South Gloucestershire is protected from development by a green belt and the south-east fringe is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Many of the challenges and issues facing the rural parts of South Gloucestershire are similar to those found in other rural parts of the South West (like falling farm incomes, a decline in rural services and management of the rural environment).
From a more urban perspective South Gloucestershire also incorporates part of the rapidly developing northern urban fringe are of Bristol and the relatively new town of Yate. This fact, that much of South Gloucestershire lies within the sphere of influence of Bristol and considerable growth pressures, clearly distinguishes the rural parts of much of South Gloucestershire from rural areas in the South West more remote from major urban areas.
The key challenges facing rural communities in South Gloucestershire can be summarised as:
- The physical and social exclusion of persons living in rural communities (particulary the young and the elderly)
- A decline in rural services resulting primarily from an increase in car usage for journeys to work and shopping trips, leading to rural-based services becoming unviable
- Management of the wide range of demands on the countryside including food production, nature conservation, rural enterprise, recreational and leisure activities and pressures for development
- Affordable housing for local people
South Gloucestershire Council is keen to both protect existing services and develop new ones for its rural residents and is working in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset councils to attract funding for rural development and regeneration projects into the sub-region.