The Essex countryside has a "serious problem".

According to the Campaign to Protect Rural Essex (CPRE), villages in the county are "dying" and something needs to be done to revitalise them.

The reason, it seems, is that younger people are leaving rural areas in droves in search of affordable living and greater job opportunities.

While young people will always search for the bright lights and big cities, a new report has found that the slump in the number of young people aged between 15 and 29 living in the countryside is a third lower than it should be.

David Williams, of the CPRE, which works to protect the Essex countryside, said: "The Essex countryside is struggling because not enough homes are affordable, the resources and support services aren't there.

"We want the countryside to be protected but we don't want to see stagnation.

"Regeneration is needed in the countryside to bring young people in.

"The problem is the countryside has an ageing population and that's going to get worse before it gets better.

"It's a serious problem and our villages are dying, in a sense."

The report - the State of the Countryside 2007, compiled by the Commission for Rural Communities - found there were 400,000 fewer people aged between 15 and 29 living in rural areas compared to 20 years ago, and the trend is against a rising rural population overall.

This means the rural population is older and ageing faster than urban areas.

It also found that rural areas have experienced a 200 per cent increase in migrant workers in the past three years - hardly a surprise for Essex considering farmers need to employ seasonal workers from overseas because domestic workers do not want to do the jobs.

But how can our rural areas be given a boost - and why is it important?

Gordon Stokes, editor of the report, explained: "The main thing for north Essex would be to revitalise the more lagging rural areas to create a place where younger people stay. It means creating jobs and affordability.

"Areas such as Cornwall have it already - the surfing attracts people. It becomes a draw.

"Find something to make Essex distinctive so young people want to be there.

"It's a huge challenge."

Mr Stokes said people in their 40s are returning to rural areas to live, but this is almost perpetuating the affordability problem.

"When people do come back, it changes the housing market and affordability becomes worse, because people in this situation have saved up so they can afford the high prices rural living demands," he explained.

According to the report, the average rural house price is £240,222 - 21 per cent higher than the average urban house price of £196,700.

Mr Williams explained that while the CPRE isn't against more houses, it wants the Government to plan rural development better.

"The problem with villages is that they are attractive places to live," he said.

"Homes have to be built. But where do they build - on the fringes of villages or on agricultural land so villages expand?

"But these aren't houses that are suitable or affordable for young people."

Then you are back to having an older and faster ageing rural population.

"Generally, it means rural areas lose out of having a good mix of people," said Mr Stokes.

"Children growing up in rural areas won't see young people around, then they feel they have to leave, too."

This will put pressures on the viability of local services for young people, such as schools and youth services, said the report.

It also found that at 43 years, the average age of residents in a rural areas is six years older than an urban area.

Mr Stokes confirmed this is also true when comparing places, such as Clacton and the surrounding villages, with Colchester.

This impacts on the area's economy, he said.

"People in the north part of Tendring have lower incomes and people in the area to the west of Colchester have high incomes, which is down to commuters.

"Traditionally, wages in rural areas are not high," said Mr Stokes.

But it's not all doom and gloom.

The report found that small business are flourishing in rural areas and land use, although changing due to climate change, is offering new opportunities and there are now 400 vineyards in the country, with seven in Essex and three in the Colchester area alone.

But these things aren't likely to draw young people into the countryside.

"Something has to be done at Government level to have some sort of positive change," said David Williams.

"The countryside needs a massive injection of not just capital but jobs and infrastructure that makes the countryside come to life."

The report found that in the UK:

  • 928,000 rural households - those where wage earners do not commute - have incomes of less than £16,500
  • Commuters in rural areas have higher incomes
  • In 2007, nearly 233,000 people lived at least 2km from a post office and 4km from a bank, building society or cashpoint
  • The number of people moving to rural areas fell from 105,100 to 75,000
  • The average rural business employs six people. In urban areas it is 16.