The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 14 letter word UNDERPOPULATED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
U
N
D
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R
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P
U
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A
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D
More clues leading to the result UNDERPOPULATED
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "With few folk around" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case with few folk around = underpopulated.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does UNDERPOPULATED mean?
UNDERPOPULATED adjective- Having an insufficient population for economic viability