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Rural Economy
Plans to improve rural 4G connectivity must pass four tests if they are to deliver real benefits to rural communities, according to several campaign groups. The Yorkshire Post and other publications such as Open Access Government and the Farmers’...
A quarterly bulletin facilitated by your membership of the Rural Services Network highlighting a selection of current rural economic development news, issues and opportunities Call for a National Rural Strategy gains momentum The Rural Services Network...
Boots could close up to 200 shops over the next two years, according to the Guardian. The health and beauty chain is reviewing its portfolio of nearly 2,500 shops as its US parent company attempts to cut costs worldwide....
A report by the TaxPayers’ Alliance has found that councils around the UK have spent £74 million over the last two years maintaining more than 6,000 empty buildings, reports the Daily Mail The buildings, which are no longer used...
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss has called for one million homes to be built on Green Belt land around the country. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, she said: ‘Doing more of what we have been...
Prominent business leaders and local politicians have written to the Treasury warning that failure to build the HS2 line would be a disaster for the Midlands and the north of England, according to The Times. The paper covers the...
The Chair of the Lords Rural Economy Committee Lord Foster argues on the website PoliticsHome.com that successive governments have ignored rural communities, in particular in terms of business needs. He writes that rural policy ‘lacks direction’ and that rural...
Writing in LocalGov.co.uk this week, TrueSpeed Communications CEO Evan Wienburg argues for the importance of robust digital connectivity. He notes that while ‘we’re living in a golden age for young entrepreneurship’, young talent is being lost to cities and...
The Lords Rural Economy report, published on Saturday, was covered in a range of publications, including: ITV, ISP Review, Christian Today and Farming UK. The report echoes RSN’s call for a comprehensive rural strategy, as argued for by chief...
The below article was written by Graham Biggs (Rural Services Network Chief Executive) in relation to the House of Lords Select Committee Report on the Rural Economy. This article was published in the Municipal Journal . ...
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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.
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