A survey by the Rural Shops Alliance has claimed 1,200 shops have closed in rural areas over the past two years along with more than 600 country pubs.

The closures have been blamed on a lack of affordable housing – which leads to decreasing demand for village shops – as families are priced out of rural areas by wealthy commuters and second home owners.

But Elaine Silverwood, from Kirkham and Wesham Chamber of sTrade, who owns a bookshop in Kirkham, branded the claims from the Rural Shops Alliance "dangerous".

"I don't know quite where they have got their information from," she said. "They certainly haven't consulted with us as a Chamber of Trade and I think what they are saying is quite questionable and potentially flawed."

The Blackpool-based Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is now calling for tax relief for businesses in rural communities.

Linda Walton, rural affairs and tourism chairman at the FSB, said: "Communities are being devastated by the loss of village shops and pubs.

"The Federation of Small Businesses is calling for a 12-month Rural Recession Rate Relief scheme that will offer immediate help to our shops and pubs based in smaller villages, to keep them at the heart of our rural communities.

"This scheme would see the Treasury topping up the non-domestic rates pool so local authorities can give 100 per cent business rate relief to village pubs and shops across England during the recession."

The National Housing Federation claimed the gentrification of the countryside, with second homeowners and wealthy commuters replacing families, was "ripping the heart out of communities".

It said it was difficult for pubs and shops to find employees who were willing to work for relatively modest wages.

Chief executive David Orr said: "If the local pub and shop disappear from a village, it rips the heart out of community life.

"Many villages are now in real danger of losing their unique identity.
"They are becoming holiday zones preserved for tourists and second home owners, which close down businesses for the winter.

"Affordable housing lies at the centre of the battle to save village life."

Councils across the Fylde coast are struggling to meet Government enforced affordable housing targets.

Many councillors believe attempting to meet these targets leaves the Fylde open to urban sprawl and building on greenbelt land.

Opponents of the targets believe they leave councils unable to turn down planning applications which may have a negative impact on the area because the plans meet affordable housing quotas.