Access to Services
10 Apr 2018
Mobile companies ‘abandon rural areas’
Mobile network operators are failing to submit planning applications that could help improve coverage in some of the worst served rural areas, say campaigners. Figures obtained by the Country Land...
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04 Apr 2018
Revealed: Best rural places to live in 2018
The UK places with the best rural quality of life are revealed in the latest annual survey by British bank Halifax. Rutland in the East Midlands has been ranked the...
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29 Mar 2018
Councils invest £500m to save services
New figures show community councils in England are set to spend an extra £33m on local services over the next year. The additional investment will be spent on safeguarding facilities...
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22 Mar 2018
“Countryside at a Crossroads” response
The Rural Services Network has welcomed a House of Lords report which says the government is failing rural communities. The “Countryside at a Crossroads” report was published by a House...
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22 Mar 2018
Government is ‘failing rural communities’
The government is failing England’s rural communities, says a House of Lords select committee. Responsibility for rural issues should be transferred away from Defra and given to another government department,...
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14 Mar 2018
£25m to explore 5G connectivity
Rural areas are to benefit from a share of £25m in funding to explore the benefits of 5G digital connectivity. 5G technology is the next step up from 4G –...
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25 Feb 2018
Rural broadband ‘vital’ service – Gove
Better rural broadband is as vital as the HS2 high-speed rail link, Defra secretary Michael Gove has said. Broadband is a public good of critical interest and vital benefit to...
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20 Feb 2018
Rural bus network under pressure
Public funding cuts are contributing to a dramatic shrinking of Britain’s bus network, suggests a study. Britain’s bus routes have lost 134 million miles of coverage over the past decade...
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18 Feb 2018
Church spires to boost broadband
Church spires across the UK will be used to boost digital connectivity and broadband speeds in rural areas. The decision follows an agreement between the government and the Church of...
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16 Feb 2018
NFU calls for fairer police funding
Farm leaders have stepped up their calls demanding fairer funding for rural police forces. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said rural communities were being “left behind” despite rising levels of concern...
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