12/01/26 - Sparse Group Meeting

This meeting was chaired by Councillor Roger Phillips OBE, Chair of Rural Services Network

You can download the agenda for the meeting here

Presentations from this meeting can be downloaded below:

Adrian Jenkins, Founder and Chief Analyst, Pixel Financial Management Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement and the impact on rural councils (Download presentation here)

Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of the Rural Services Network Next Steps for the RSN and member organisations (Download presentation here)

Useful links from the meeting:

Provisional local government finance settlement consultation 2026 to 2027
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/provisional-local-government-finance-settlement-2026-to-2027

We urge all RSN members to respond to the above consultation, ideally using the following form:
Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 consultation – Citizen Space

If you are unable to use the online form, you can email your response to the questions found in Annex B of this consultation document to: [email protected]

Responses via correspondence must make clear whether you disagree or agree with each question to ensure the statistics collected following the consultation accurately reflect respondents’ views. Government will categorise responses as ‘do not have a view’ where written responses are unclear.

Please be aware the consultation closes at 11:59pm Wednesday, 14 January 2026.

RSN Initial response to the provisional settlement
Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026/27 - Rural Services Network

RSN writes to Minister calling for Fair Funding
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/rsn-sends-open-letter-calling-for-fairer-funding-for-rural-communities

Minister responds to RSN
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/government-responds-to-rsn-on-fair-funding-concerns

APPG on Rural Services
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/category/appg

RSN Delivering for All Campaign
https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/delivering-for-all