{"id":11125,"date":"2015-12-11T11:29:53","date_gmt":"2015-12-11T11:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/intercardiff\/?p=11125"},"modified":"2015-12-11T11:29:53","modified_gmt":"2015-12-11T11:29:53","slug":"the-welsh-rural-revival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/uncategorised\/the-welsh-rural-revival","title":{"rendered":"The Welsh Rural Revival"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>An independent report from Cardiff University has made recommendations on how to &#8216;revive&#8217; Welsh rural communities. Is sustainable green energy growth the answer?<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11280\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11280\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Fiz-in-Hay.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11280\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Fiz-in-Hay.jpg\" alt=\"Fiz in her home environment. Hay-on-Wye in Brecon Beacon National Park\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Fiz-in-Hay.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Fiz-in-Hay-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Fiz-in-Hay-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11280\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11280\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Fiz-in-Hay.jpg\" alt=\"Fiz in her home environment. Hay-on-Wye in Brecon Beacon National Park\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Fiz-in-Hay.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Fiz-in-Hay-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Fiz-in-Hay-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a> Fiz in her home environment. Hay-on-Wye in Brecon Beacons National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Growing up in a rural community in a national park, Fiz Gibson-Watt witnessed the degradation of her local services first-hand. Her hometown, small market town Hay-on-Wye resides on the tip of Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys, mid Wales. Though the national park is close to Cardiff, it is a different world from the bustling, multicultural capital city.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was isolated and tough,\u201d she admitted. Studies have shown that rural areas in Wales have been net losers in health services, shops, schools and broadband for some time. \u201cIt is a paradoxical situation, the more services we lose, the more people tend to move away and more services are lost again as the population shrinks and ages.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11173\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11173\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Wales-Landscapes.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11173 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Wales-Landscapes.jpg\" alt=\"More needs to be done to help rural communities \" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Wales-Landscapes.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Wales-Landscapes-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Wales-Landscapes-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11173\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11173 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Wales-Landscapes.jpg\" alt=\"More needs to be done to help rural communities \" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Wales-Landscapes.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Wales-Landscapes-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Wales-Landscapes-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a> More needs to be done to help rural communities (Photo credit: Jeremy Segrott on Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A fresh approach is needed to \u2018revive\u2019 rural communities, and this viewpoint has been highlighted by a recent independent report commissioned by Wales\u2019 Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant. The study, chaired by Professor Terry Marsden of Cardiff University examined eight \u2018designated landscapes\u2019 of Wales, aiming to ensure they are equipped to meet current and future challenges whilst retaining their world-renowned natural beauty.<\/p>\n<p>National parks have their own governing authorities, and the independent review gathered information on current models of rural Welsh governance, comparing them to other international human-managed landscapes and areas of outstanding natural beauty. From this, frameworks were established that could help rural communities under Welsh local authorities.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11187\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11187\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons-.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11187\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons-.jpg\" alt=\"Brecon Beacons National Park\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons-.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons--300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons--500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11187\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11187\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons-.jpg\" alt=\"Brecon Beacons National Park\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons-.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons--300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons--500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a> Brecon Beacons National Park (Credit: an1.uk on Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Marc Adams, a researcher who assisted on the study said: \u201cIn the report recommendations are made on how to fit National Parks into the national debate. Law in Wales is changing rapidly; there is lots of forward-thinking legislation examining sustainability and the future of troubled rural communities assessing how best they can be managed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The report shows the differences in well-being, health and education from rural to more populated regions of Wales. From this, more united authorities in the rural landscapes will promote greater use of the countryside assets, fostering more vibrant rural communities with diversified jobs and services.<\/p>\n<p>The report makes sixty-nine recommendations in total, hoping to better equip rural communities to thrive in radically changing social and economic climates. However, questions have been raised whether this report will mark the change that is needed in the Welsh countryside.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11199\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11199\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Cardiff-city.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11199 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Cardiff-city.jpg\" alt=\"City regions such as Cardiff have been the main focus for investment into services (Credit: Geraint Rowland on Flickr)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Cardiff-city.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Cardiff-city-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Cardiff-city-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11199\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11199 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Cardiff-city.jpg\" alt=\"City regions such as Cardiff have been the main focus for investment into services (Credit: Geraint Rowland on Flickr)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Cardiff-city.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Cardiff-city-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Cardiff-city-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a> City regions such as Cardiff have been the main focus for investment into services (Photo credit: Geraint Rowland on Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The current investment focus on city regions such as Cardiff has seen rural areas losing out on funding for basic services and infrastructure. In Fiz\u2019s ward alone, two out of three schools have recently closed, forcing families to reconsider living rurally. This leads to a rapidly ageing population; there is an influx of retired people seeking a quiet country life whereas younger people tend to move away to seek services and prospects.<\/p>\n<p>This has a cascade effect on other local amenities. The ageing population puts a strain on health services, services that have felt the brunt of government cuts. Local politician James Gibson-Watt highlighted the pressure rural communities are facing: \u201cOlder people make the biggest demands on social care, yet they are the most prevalent demographic in these rural areas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEconomic and social development is going in opposite to what it should be. It\u2019s long term social engineering towards an ageing population and it\u2019s really looking bleak.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11209\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11209\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Green-Energy.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11209 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Green-Energy.jpg\" alt=\"Is green energy growth the way forward?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Green-Energy.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Green-Energy-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Green-Energy-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11209\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11209 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Green-Energy.jpg\" alt=\"Is green energy growth the way forward?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Green-Energy.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Green-Energy-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Green-Energy-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a> Is green energy growth the way forward? (Photo credit: Floris Oosterveld on Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One of the more economically promising proposals calls for National Landscapes of Wales to stimulate more green energy development. This would generate a number of jobs in rural regions as well as placing Wales at the forefront of sustainable energy growth. However, James Gibson-Watt is quick to point out pitfalls of such a plan: \u201cPlanning for such large-scale projects is rarely permitted by national park authorities. The Brecon Beacons authority in particular, from my experience, favours tourism growth, not these green energy schemes, as costs are huge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Referring to a case within his region, Talybont Reservoir Hydroelectricity Scheme, James points out \u201cgreen energy schemes would only work if the projects were localised so the community directly feels the benefits.\u201d The energy produced from his local scheme goes straight to a national grid and not to the nearby village. Though the company invests back into community projects, locals would prefer to have free electricity from the plant or other more direct benefits. \u201cPeople would be much more willing to back future schemes this way,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11225\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11225\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Talybont-reservoir.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11225 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Talybont-reservoir.jpg\" alt=\"Talybont Reservoir pictured here has a hydroelectricity scheme\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Talybont-reservoir.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Talybont-reservoir-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Talybont-reservoir-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11225\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11225 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Talybont-reservoir.jpg\" alt=\"Talybont Reservoir pictured here has a hydroelectricity scheme\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Talybont-reservoir.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Talybont-reservoir-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Talybont-reservoir-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a> Talybont Reservoir pictured here has a hydroelectricity scheme (Photo Credit: Phil Dolby on Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Elen Owen, a 22-year-old biology graduate and environmental analyst who grew up in Abergynolwyn, Snowdonia National Park has seen local opposition to green energy schemes first hand. In her region, applications for wind farm development are often rejected due to the opposition from the local community to the large costs. Her godmother, Mrs Rees is a member of Meirionnydd Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales and has tirelessly pushed for alternatives to protect the landscape. \u201cShe even paid for solar panels to be installed in her home to show the alternatives,\u201d Elen reflects. \u201cShe claims that wind turbines are inefficient with huge environmental and economic costs for building pylons and turbines and roads and holes to accommodate the turbines. Very few local farmers directly benefit from these schemes, most of them depend on tourism and will lose out heavily if the landscape is industrialised.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other green energy schemes in Elen\u2019s village have also fallen through. \u201cThere was one effort to set up a biomass energy system in the village which went bust, the developer actually turned out to be a con man which is pretty exploitative of an already vulnerable community.\u201d Attempts have also been made to set up an eco primary school in the region, which has been an unsuccessful project. \u201cIt\u2019s been an absolute disaster,\u201d she claims. \u201cIt was the way the local authority went about it, they closed all the small schools down for this to send all the kids in for this big project and it\u2019s a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSustainable energy generation such as biomass boilers really suit rural communities because they can use agricultural waste and stuff like that, but the farmers don\u2019t know about it. The reason big plans like this won\u2019t work lies with the local authorities, they don\u2019t encourage it enough or execute such plans efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11233\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11233\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Abergynolwyn.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11233 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Abergynolwyn.jpg\" alt=\"Abergynolwyn, where green energy schemes have fallen through\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Abergynolwyn.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Abergynolwyn-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Abergynolwyn-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11233\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11233 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Abergynolwyn.jpg\" alt=\"Abergynolwyn, where green energy schemes have fallen through\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Abergynolwyn.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Abergynolwyn-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Abergynolwyn-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a> Abergynolwyn, where green energy schemes have fallen through (Photo credit: Peter Broster on Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Whilst the independent report makes big recommendations, painting a bright picture of the future of Wales\u2019 Designated Landscapes, father and daughter James and Fiz Gibson-Watt have a more pessimistic approach after seeing their community decline. \u201cThese proposals need a lot of guidance from the centre. Local politics is a huge issue here, national park authorities and councils aren\u2019t responding well to this deterioration of services and it has lead to terrible decision-making and outsourcing. A coalition in the Future Landscapes Working Group will help but further major failures in service delivery are inevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThough the report\u2019s intentions are good, it might be too little too late.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Politicians are being told they need to do more to sustain rural communities, but can anything be done to improve the economic lot of people living in the Welsh countryside? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":422,"featured_media":11187,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-11125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Welsh Rural Revival - InterCardiff<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/uncategorised\/the-welsh-rural-revival\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Welsh Rural Revival - InterCardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Politicians are being told they need to do more to sustain rural communities, but can anything be done to improve the economic lot of people living in the Welsh countryside?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/uncategorised\/the-welsh-rural-revival\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"InterCardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-12-11T11:29:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/12\/Brecon-Beacons-.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"360\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lisa Carr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lisa Carr\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/uncategorised\/the-welsh-rural-revival\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/uncategorised\/the-welsh-rural-revival\",\"name\":\"The Welsh Rural Revival - 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