Countryside Minister Chris Mullin was in Pershore yesterday (Wednesday) for the regional launch of the Government's Rural White Paper.

He said the paper, published on Tuesday, set out Government policies which he felt would encourage the sustained prosperity and vitality of rural economies and communities.

Mr Mullin told the Journal: "The object is to revive rural communities and market towns like Evesham and some of the villages which have had the lifeblood sucked out of them."

Speaking at Pershore College's Core Food and Drink Centre, he said he would like to see local farmers selling their produce directly to customers at regular farmers' markets in towns like Evesham and Pershore, and see the role of parish councils stepped up.

He said many of the "ominous trends" in rural areas, such as the drift of young people to cities, the decline of village stores and the problems affecting agriculture, had not appeared overnight.

"We're trying to reverse a trend which has been evident for many years," he said. "There are no magic solutions."

The white paper includes measures designed to help improve health, education, transport and housing services in the countryside and develop the role of bodies like parish councils. Among the proposals are a 50% rate relief for village shops, pubs and garages, £100million for primary health care centres, £270million for post offices, £240million for transport schemes and a further £37million towards market town regeneration.

The 50 or so representatives from local authorities, businesses and other interested parties who listened to the minister, told him of their concerns at second home owners pricing local people out of an already limited property market, the need to improve certain parish councils and the difficulties facing farmers.