Chair of the Lords Rural Economy Select Committee Lord Foster of Bath has argued this week in Politics Home that the Government needs to implement a comprehensive rural strategy.

He says that rural residents have for a long time felt ignored and disregarded by those in power.

The House of Lords established a Select Committee to consider the rural economy and make recommendations.

During the year-long inquiry, Peers found that policies which were largely devised for urban and sub-urban economies, and which are often inappropriate for rural England are often implemented regardless.

To address this, the Committee made nearly 100 recommendations to Government, and in some cases to other bodies such as local councils and LEPs. It argued for a ‘comprehensive rural strategy’ to ‘enhance the contribution rural England can make to the whole nation’.

The article also references an open letter, organised by the Rural Services Network in July, it says: ‘A large number of rural organisations enthusiastically supported our call for a rural strategy. When, in July, the Government rejected it, they wrote a letter to the Times stating that “yet again the Government’s attitude towards rural communities has left people feeling frustrated and ignored.”’ 

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PoliticsHome - Lord Foster: Rural Britain has felt ignored for too long - we need a comprehensive rural strategy