COMMUNITIES will suffer under government plans that will reduce the amount of affordable housing in the countryside, England's largest rural network has warned. The Rural Services Network has called on ministers to abandon proposals that mean housing developments of less than 10 units would no longer have to include affordable homes. The Department for Communities and Local Government has been canvassing opinion on proposals to introduce a 10-unit threshold for affordable housing contributions. The Rural Services Network (RSN) previously responded to a government consultation on the proposals. The latter is expected to announce its decision following the consultation shortly. RSN chief executive Graham Biggs MBE said: "The 10-home threshold would be nothing short of ruinous for the provision of affordable housing in rural areas." For full story, see this week's Haslemere Herald.