The disappearance of primary schools, medical practices and bus stops from rural communities have deepened the divide between city and country in the Netherlands, a new report has concluded.

Researchers from three government agencies have called for targeted investment to restore public services in outlying areas to prevent them falling further behind.

They warn that depriving communities of facilities affects people’s health, with lower life expectancy and a greater risk of obesity and chronic diseases.

Average incomes also lagged behind in some parts of the five regions studied for the report: the Veenkoloniën (former peat digging region of eastern Groningen), Twente, Parkstad Limburg, Twente and the Kop van Noord-Holland area around Den Helder.

‘Living standards in villages, neighbourhoods and communities is coming under pressure and various regions are falling behind as a result,’ the report states.

‘The availability of cultural facilities and meeting places in certain regions is also substandard.’

Residents’ perception that they were being passed over for public investment was often justified, the researchers said, adding that the national government had made a ‘deliberate choice’ to invest in regions that were already well serviced.

As a result people living in remote communities were having to travel further for hospital appointments and had fewer shops and sports facilities in their neighbourhood.

They have the feeling that the national government doesn’t understand what is going on in the regions and is too detached from them.”

The report, entitled Every Region Counts, was compiled by the council for the environment and infrastructure (Rli), the council for public administration (ROB) and the council for public health and society (RVS).