I’m a proud member of the new Labour Rural Research Group, alongside 25 other MPs. Our recent survey, which 1,400 rural residents responded to, had some interesting findings.

Much of the Government’s ambition for growth and prosperity runs through rural communities like North Northumberland. That means we need to fix our social housing and sort out public services. This report confirms the urgent need for this to happen.

Our thanks goes to everyone who responded. Here’s what you told us:

• Almost two-thirds (61%) feel your rural communities are in decline;

• Three-quarters (75%) believe your rural communities have been overlooked for the past 15 years;

• And over two-thirds of you (65%) showed support for responsible local developments and infrastructure.

Understandably, some residents are unsure about what development means for their postcode. I want to see genuinely affordable social housing alongside the necessary infrastructure: like roads, schools and healthcare.

Often, in the expansion on the edges of our towns that we’ve seen in recent years, this infrastructure hasn’t been built in. Or developers haven’t been held to their initial promises.

We now need a significant uplift in small housing developments with a high proportion of social and affordable housing on the edges of our towns and villages (starting with brownfield) and with the necessary infrastructure built in.

Rebuilding rural communities will take time, but we’ve made a strong start. Labour has clamped down on sewage by banning bonuses and fining water companies, committed £39billion over ten years into social housing and delivered the biggest ever sustainable farming budget.