A NEW series of rural proofing resources aims to help those developing and delivering services at a local level.

The resources, funded and published by Defra, have been produced by Rural Innovation as part of a team incorporating Brian Wilson and Ivan Annibal.

A steering group comprised Action with Communities in Rural England, the County Councils Network, the Commission for Rural Communities, the Local Government Association, the National Association of Local Councils and the Rural Services Network.

Following a call for evidence to rural practitioners and representative organisations, the resources outline the underlying principles of good service design and delivery and are supported by examples of good practice.

Three resources are available for free download. These are:

1. A headline statement explaining what rural proofing is and the benefits that it offers;

2. An insight paper containing examples of local level rural proofing in practice; and

3. A briefing note in slide pack form providing easy access to the findings of the work and promoting the benefits and practice of local level rural proofing.

The Local Level Rural Proofing resources are available at Defra's science and research projects database. More information on rural proofing is available from Defra's website.

Any enquiries regarding the resources can be sent emailed to [email protected]