A GROWING social divide between families in the countryside and those in urban areas is laid bare today as a report warns the poorest in rural communities are missing out on vital support, writes WMN London Editor Matt Chorley.

Poor transport links, a lack of childcare and difficulty accessing help to find work is making life in more remote areas "extremely harsh", and the recession is making things "even harder", according to a study of Westcountry services.

It says some parents risk experiencing depression and feelings of isolation, while those in similar circumstances in towns and cities have state-funded help "close to where they live".

The Commission for Rural Communities says everyone should have an equal right to access public services.

The CRC report by research body Capacity, entitled Peace and Quiet Disadvantage, seeks to demolish the myth of the "idyll of living in the countryside".

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It says rural poverty is rising and poor transport in particular can be a "barrier" to getting a job and accessing public services including visiting a dentist or Jobcentre.

The study focused in detail on four Sure Start children's centres serving rural areas. They included the My Start Children's Centre in Ilfracombe, North Devon, and the Wiveliscombe Children's Centre in West Somerset.

Of the 3,000 centres in England, just one in five is in a rural area and the increased cost of providing service in the countryside is not always reflected in funding levels.

Staff in Devon say they are "stretched" and would like to offer more preventative services and ante-natal care but "cutbacks are affecting the service".

The centre in Somerset reports that "depression is an issue for some parents, particularly younger parents" and considerable effort is being made to set up satellite centres to take services to areas that people need them.

Margaret Lochrie, the report's author, said: "If these problems are to be tackled successfully, rural poverty needs to be given more priority and change is needed across a broad range of areas of public service delivery. Better transport links and subsidised fares for families would help more families to access key services. Affordable childcare in the evenings and at weekends is also needed."

She added that children's centres could provide more support for parents to gain qualifications, helping with transport, advising on benefits and tax credits, and helping to create local enterprise.

The report also highlights concerns that rural families are not considered a "priority group" in Government guidance. "For some, the realities of day-to-day living are extremely harsh and the impact of the current recession is to make life even harder," it says.

"Rural poverty is also distinctive from its urban counterpart, where families have helping services close to where they live and where public transport is more readily at hand."

For most parents the disadvantages of live in the country – isolation, poor public transport and housing shortages – are outweighed by the "benefits of clean air, reduced crime levels and a more peaceful environment".

But for a minority the disadvantages are "very significant", and leave them struggling to access key services including healthcare and education.

One mother in Devon said: "The main issue is the impact of isolation on families and the ways in which this can affect the well-being of children and infant mental health."

Most parents believe transport is in need of "significant improvement".