The Countryside Alliance wants to form a “rural council” by bringing together a collective of rural housing bodies. The group behind the Countryside March is inviting Shelter, the Housing Corporation’s rural division, the Rural Housing Trust and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, among others, to join the umbrella group.

It intends the lobbying organisation to represent rural interests in the same way the Confederation of British Industry represents business.

The Countryside Alliance does not want to run the group because it doesn’t want to be seen as taking control at this early stage. The first meeting, planned for 1 November, will discuss how it will be managed.

A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said: “We believe that for years the countryside bodies have been fighting against each other. If all groups across all rural issues put their weight behind rural housing initiatives, it will have a greater impact.

“When the TUC talks, the government listens. Similarly, we want it to be that when the rural council speaks, Defra listens.”

A spokesman for Shelter said it had not yet received the invitation to join, but was “always open to any genuine approaches to work collectively and tackle those issues faced by rural communities”.