ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1 we argued that the middle class is becoming increasingly dominant in many rural localities, while in Chapter 2 we showed the extent to which this phenomenon can be linked to shifts in the economic and social structure of particular regions, most notably the South East. We now turn to look in detail at the means by which middle-class “colonization” is achieved. In this chapter we consider the rôle of the housing development process, and the types of housing typically provided in rural areas, in fostering the process of class formation. This has two main dimensions which will be elaborated on below: first, the forms of regulation which “surround” the housing market and which attempt to ensure the delivery of particular housing “requirements”; and secondly the “market” itself, or how developers seek out and then attempt to meet or create opportunities.
