North Yorkshire's rural communities need a long-term strategy

The chairman of a commission has claimed in the Yorkshire Post that deeply ingrained issues blighting rural communities will only be resolved with a long-term vision spanning at least the next decade

A host of measures were set out in a final report published by the North Yorkshire Rural Commission earlier this year to tackle problems including a lack of affordable housing and poor internet and mobile phone coverage.

Research by the commission revealed that a fifth of all rural areas in the county have no broadband connection, compared with seven per cent in urban areas.

The Dean of Ripon, John Dobson, has stressed that a long-term strategy is required to ensure progress is made and lasting change is achieved.

An overriding theme in the commission’s findings was the need for the Government to provide a multi-billion-pound devolution deal for North Yorkshire.

Among the commission’s most radical proposals was a levy on the owners of second homes and an overhaul of the Government’s funding formula for both education and housing.

Full article:

Yorkshire Post - North Yorkshire's rural communities need a long-term strategy to solve a host of countryside problems, Dean of Ripon warns