T: 01822 851370 E: [email protected]
News
BUSINESSES across Wiltshire and Swindon can bid for funding through a rural grants scheme. The rural economy grants scheme, run by Wiltshire Council , is open for applications and runs until December 2014. The scheme aims to...
MORE should be done to promote rural tourism, the government has been told. The Country Land and Business Association said the government needed to work more closely with the tourism industry to boost visitor numbers in England and...
A RURAL advice service has secured a major funding package worth almost £350,000. The Rural Cambs Citizens' Advice Bureau provides frontline welfare advice to residents of Fenland and East Cambridgeshire. It has been awarded £345,162 under a...
Stimulating economic growth is the top priority for the government, MPs have been told. "We want to see rural areas contributing to and benefitting from that growth," said DEFRA minister Richard Benyon. "We are working to improve...
FIBRE broadband will be rolled out to around 98% of West Sussex homes and businesses within three years. A new fibre network will transform broadband speeds across the county and its rural areas, said West Sussex County Council...
ALMOST three-quarters of rural voters feel politicians are more interested in city dwellers, suggests a poll. Some 64% of people living in the countryside believe that the coalition government's policies are failing to help rural Britain. And...
GUIDELINES to ensure government policies don't discriminate against rural communities have been published online. The national rural proofing guidelines were published by DEFRA on Thursday (16 May). Rural proofing is not optional, not complicated and not a...
THE rural economy faces a battle to avoid slipping again into recession, says a report. Rising unemployment, shrinking profits and plummeting confidence in countryside businesses has thrown the rural economy to the brink of a further recession, it...
BROADBAND speeds in the countryside continue to languish behind those in larger towns and cities. Rural broadband connections are three times slower than speeds in cities, according to the latest DEFRA bulletin . In 2012, the average...
Changes to planning rules will make it easier to bring redundant rural buildings back into use. A relaxation of planning rules will allow the use of outbuildings to be changed under permitted development rights. Ministers have announced...
NEWSLETTER
Sign up to receive all our latest news and updates.
HOT TOPICS
Amid reduced public spending, fair resource allocation across regions is crucial. Despite a population larger than Greater London, rural areas receive significantly less funding for essential services, even though delivering these services in rural areas is more expensive.
Economic growth is widely acknowledged as essential for national wealth and prosperity and is a priority for political parties. Rural economies, employing millions and home to a higher proportion of small businesses, have potential for growth if barriers are removed.
Rural residents face distinct healthcare challenges, including limited access to transport, longer distances to medical facilities, an aging demographic, housing inadequacies, digital connectivity gaps, and difficulties recruiting health and care workers.
Rural communities are grappling with a severe affordable housing crisis, marked by high house prices, a lack of affordable housing, elevated living costs, and lower incomes, threatening their sustainability and vitality.
Transport is vital for the quality of life and economic health of rural areas, yet it faces challenges such as infrequent public bus services and less Government funding compared to urban regions.
Rural areas, encompassing a substantial portion of England's population and land, play a pivotal role in combating climate change and achieving the net zero target.
In an increasingly digital world, the lack of robust digital infrastructure in rural areas severely limits access to crucial services and stifles economic growth.
A future-focused vision for rural communities involves not just building the right homes in the right places but also ensuring thriving, sustainable communities.
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Sign up to our newsletter to receive all the latest news and updates.
Part of and working with:
