The Countryside Agency has published its annual "State of the Countryside" report.

It reveals that more than 90 per cent of people, both rural and urban, want to "keep the countryside the way it is now".

Forum Response: The Countryside Agency

Sir Ewen Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency, said: "Our State of the Countryside report provides objective analysis and facts about the countryside, to guide policy makers and decision takers.

"While it shows that life in the countryside is generally good for many people who enjoy better standards of health, less fear of crime, higher educational qualifications and get on better with their neighbours, too often problems lie behind this overall favourable picture.

"One in four people living in low income households are in rural areas yet, as I flagged up last year, rural housing continues to become less affordable, particularly for first time buyers.

"Our countryside is a hive of economic activity that plays a major part in driving the national economy, but our report shows that restricted access to broadband is putting rural businesses and residents at a disadvantage. New data shows a widening digital divide.

"Whilst two thirds of the population overall can access affordable broadband, this drops to 26 per cent in market towns, seven per cent in rural villages and only one per cent in remote rural areas. Lack of broadband access can present an expensive obstacle to new rural businesses, denying them markets for their products and services."New technologies, such as broadband, also offer residents access to essential services that no longer have a physical presence locally. In particular, young people living in remoter areas need the same access to the latest entertainment, education and training, delivered through broadband, if they are not to feel disadvantaged compared to their urban counterparts.

"I know the government is working with others to address this issue and I urge them to set a realistic target for reaching the whole rural population with broadband, making it easier to monitor and identify where further action is needed."

Forum Response: Countryside Alliance

Richard Burge, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "The report paints a picture of a 'curate's egg' countryside, one which is only good in parts - and increasingly mainly for the better-off.

"It is becoming ever more difficult for the less-well-off to live and work in the countryside - and this in particular could be very bad news for the upkeep of the land itself.

"However, the agency's report also confirms that one of the great strengths of rural communities is that they still think and act as communities. The government must ensure that its rural policies recognise and respect rural communities' own sense of values and identity."