Bosses 'dreaming of countryside'

Urban bosses think the countryside may offer a better quality of life

Half of UK bosses based in a big city or industrial town would like to move to the countryside, a survey suggests.

The study for support agency Cornwall Pure Business found that 15% of such managers want to move all or part of their firm to a less urban location.

A further 21% would leave for another business in the countryside, while 14% want to start up their own rural firm.

The survey, which spoke to 1,000 business people, found that Cornwall was the top "dream business location".

The South West county was chosen by 13% of respondents, closely followed by its neighbour Devon (11%), and the Scottish Highlands (10%).

'Realising dreams'

The Cornwall Pure Business survey discovered that the key motivators behind urban business people wanting to move to the countrywide were: creating a better environment for their family, gaining a better work-life balance, and reducing commuting time.

House prices in the South West have tripled over the last 10 years

It also highlighted reasons why so many are yet to go ahead with a move.

The main perceived barriers are said to be raising the necessary finance, fears over lack of access to technology, the impact on current employees, and the concern that a move would have a negative impact on a company's profits.

The findings reflect a recent separate survey by the Halifax, which showed that the South West was the most popular destination for internal UK migration.

More than 300,000 people relocated to the South West from other parts of the UK between 1995 and 2005, boosting the region's population by 6%, the Halifax found.

Yet the Halifax also found that this had resulted in house prices in the South West tripling over the same 10 years.