The drip, drip closure of shops and pubs in rural areas is a real worry for people. A lack of local services causes all sorts of problems for everyone. With no shop in a village, people have to travel long distances to get basics such as milk and bread. In some counties if there’s no shop in a village, there will be no planning permission for any housing development. This means young people can’t afford to set up home in their local village even if they wanted to. It’s a vicious cycle.