In March 2019, the Rural Services Network launched a campaign calling on Government to develop a comprehensive Rural Strategy, to address inequalities in rural areas.  The campaign gained traction with the House of Lords Select Committee on the Rural Economy also recommending that Government develop a Rural Strategy.  Issues such as Brexit and the global pandemic have taken the focus away from the particular needs of rural areas and so, in Autumn 2020, to move this campaign forward, the RSN will be launching the Revitalising Rural - Realising the Vision campaign

Campaign

This campaign will focus on Revitalising Rural: Realising the Vision and will demonstrate how rural areas can help the Government achieve its aims and will identify barriers to rural areas doing so (citing ways in which those barriers might be addressed).  It will seek to show that boosting rural productivity requires action across economic and social agendas, since in practice these are inextricably linked.

Revitalising Rural: Realising the Vision will focus on 16 policy issues with a number of asks for Government to deliver. 

For each of the issues, we have put together:

• Background on why the policy area matters, national policy context and the rural dimension
• Issue and asks as a result of Covid-19
• Policy Solutions – this section is blank at present because we would like to hear your views via the links below.

The consultation which is available at https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/revitalising-rural includes the following sections:

• Section 1 - Digital Connectivity
• Section 2 - Energy Infrastructure and Renewables
• Section 3 - Transport and Access to Jobs and Opportunities
• Section 4 - Accessible Health and Care Services
• Section 5 - Village Schools and Local Assets
• Section 6 - Local Enterprise Partnerships and Local Industrial Strategies
• Section 7 - Land Use Planning System
• Section 8 - Further Education, Training and Apprenticeships
• Section 9 - Parish Councils and Community Action
• Section 10 - Rural Town Centres and High Streets
• Section 11 - Affordable Housing
• Section 12 - UK Shared Prosperity Fund
• Section 13 - Managing an Older Population
• Section 14 - Sustainable Farming and Land Management
• Section 15 - Decarbonising Rural Communities and Economies
• Section 16 - Business Advice and Guidance

How can you help?

We know you are very busy at the moment supporting your rural communities but we would be grateful if you could respond to our consultation, full details are available at https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/revitalising-rural If you are able to perhaps contribute just to the one area you feel is most important, that would be much appreciated!

We rely on your practical experiences to help inform our campaign so we can articulate to Government on your behalf, the needs of rural service providers.

The consultation closes on 31st July 2020.