Author: <span>Philip Cornish</span>
23 Dec 2012
Extra police focus on rural crime
A NEW initiative will see police officers dedicated to tackling offenders who target farms and rural communities in Suffolk. Rural crime comes in many different forms, ranging from offences against...
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20 Dec 2012
Rural areas hit hardest by council cuts
RURAL communities will bear the brunt of government cuts making it even harder for councils to maintain services. The warning follows the publication of the government’s finance settlement, which details...
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16 Dec 2012
Community breathes life into village
AN £87,000 boost looks set to help a community spirited village provide a new post office and affordable housing. West Dorset District Council awarded the money to help a pioneering...
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16 Dec 2012
‘Major milestone’ for rural broadband
A MAJOR milestone was reached when the government’s rural superfast broadband programme connected its first village. The rural community of Ainderby Steeple in North Yorkshire became the first community to...
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16 Dec 2012
Local councils cut bus services
BUS funding in much of England has seen a second year of significant cuts, claim public transport campaigners. Some 41% of local authorities have cut services this year, said the...
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12 Dec 2012
Neighbourhood plan makes history
A NEIGHBOURHOOD plan in Cumbria has become the first in the country to pass an independent examination. The draft Upper Eden Neighbourhood Plan – the first in the country to...
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11 Dec 2012
Economic indicators largely unchanged
RURAL economic indicators were largely unchanged during the third quarter of 2012 – although the rate of redundancies increased. Rural unemployment (4.8%) and rural business insolvencies (0.7 per 1000 businesses)...
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09 Dec 2012
Rural families face higher living costs
THE cost of living is higher for families in the countryside than it is for those in towns and cities, reveals a report. Weekly household expenditure across the UK averaged...
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09 Dec 2012
Red diesel cleared for gritting roads
FARMERS can use red diesel in their tractors to help grit and clear snow from public roads during extreme weather, the government has confirmed. Under normal rules any vehicle used...
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09 Dec 2012
Defra still ‘developing’ rural proofing
THE government says it is continuing to develop new guidelines requiring departments to consider the rural impact of their policies. Defra minister Richard Benyon said the government’s Rural Statement published...
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