PEOPLE living in Craven earn less than their counterparts around the country and have fewer village halls, pubs and churches than the national average.

These are just two of the worrying facts revealed in a report issued by The Countryside Agency.

It states that the Yorkshire and Humber region of the country, of which Craven is part, lost around £250 million from the impact of the foot and mouth disease.

Available statistics show that the region's rural economy lost around £125 million and the tourist sector lost around 300,000 trips and 900,000 bed nights - totalling another £125 million.

The report draws together regional information from many sources to present a factual picture of what is happening to the countryside. In the future it will be used by the Agency to measure the success of the Government at meeting rural needs.

Ian Deans, the Agency's regional director for Yorkshire and Humber, said: "This is the second year that we have published a report on the 'state of the countryside'. On its own the report presents a snapshot in time of facts about the region's rural areas.

"But, as we continue to publish this report on an annual basis it will enable us to identify trends and areas for investment, whilst also checking on the progress of Government in delivering action set out in the Rural White Paper."

The report states that in the last 10 years, the population in rural areas of Yorkshire and Humber has grown.

It says: "Between 1984 and 1999 it grew faster than in the urban areas and its social composition changed as older people moved in and young people migrated to the urban centres.

"In both cases, the movement is driven by people at various stages of life seeking a better living standard in terms of jobs, housing or environment. This results in more older people and fewer younger people living in rural areas of Yorkshire & Humber than the region as a whole."

It highlights the fact that only 77 per cent of parishes in the region have a place of worship, the national average is 92 per cent; 78 per cent have a village hall, compared with the national average of 85 per cent; 72 per cent have a pub compared to 75 per cent throughout England.

The report says: "A number of factors are contributing to a declining rural pub trade and the closure of some of the smaller businesses. These include cheap imports of alcohol from the continent, strict drink/driving laws and the recent drop in rural visitors resulting from the foot and mouth outbreak.

"The latter has had a serious impact on rural pubs in the more tourist dependent areas and some landlords on popular walking routes are reporting significant losses.

"Diversification such as live entertainment and satellite TV, provision of conference facilities, clubs for the elderly, doctors' surgeries, community facilities and the provision of high-quality meals appears to be increasing among the more successful businesses."

Meanwhile, average earnings in rural districts are £299.56 gross weekly pay, compared with urban areas in the region receiving £317.44.

Out of the whole of the Yorkshire and Humber region, the Craven area has a very high percentage of households with an income of less than 60 per cent of the median.

The report also shows that throughout the Yorkshire Dales, there is a lower percentage of rented housing provided by the local authority.

Regarding transport, 33 per cent of households do not own a car, which is higher than the proportion in England as a whole. Rural households are also forced to spend an average of £58.84 a week on motoring.