'Best village' accolade could be a curse

The accolade, in upmarket national newspaper The Telegraph, has proved something of a poisoned chalice for locals.
One reader used social media to state: “The last thing we want is to have our place overrun by braying London bankers looking for a weekend bolt hole.”
The article features an idyllic picture of the Dundas Arms with the caption: “Star quality: set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty beside the sleepy Kennet and Avon Canal, with a brilliant pub...as well as stores, butchers and local school.
“It has its own railway station with trains to Paddington, which take about 41 minutes.”
The article quotes an estate agent saying: “It is attracting smart middle-class owners - people are prepared to pay a huge premium to live here" and mentions a village home with canal views being on the market for £2.25 million.
And therein lies the problem, said Kintbury Parish Council chairman Stephen Cook.
He said: “The article encouraged estate agents to think they can charge London prices and get top rent for private landlords. The upshot is that people who were born and bred here can’t afford to buy and they can’t afford to rent.
“Take me, for example - I’m nearly 45 years old and still live with my parents. I can’t afford anywhere and I’m a single bloke so I’m not eligible for social housing.”
Mr Cook said there was also a fear among locals that such national exposure “feeds into the hands of the developers - they’ll say it’s such a popular place to move to that we need more houses. But local people won’t afford them.”
He added: “We try to maintain the old village atmosphere but it’s not what it was. People who only live here at weekends don’t help boost village trade and nearly all the shops are gone.”