While we should consider the population decline in rural areas, Government policy favours more densely populated urban areas. That is also the policy at local authority level, where county and town development plans are put in place. Government policy is for higher population density. While this will work from the point of view of footpaths, public lighting, sewage facilities and so on, it may not be best at the end of the day. If there are to be greater urban populations there will be a decline in local post offices, shops and pubs in rural areas. The Government will have to put a policy in place to help fight the decline of small rural villages.