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Analysis & Commentary
What the government's 2015 Autumn Statement and Spending Review mean for local authorities. Chancellor George Osborne delivered his 2015 Autumn Statement and Spending Review to Parliament on 25 November 2015. This briefing contains the initial announcements and...
![Mind the [rural] funding gap](/media/k2/items/cache/69fe78446c890576263dc762460b71ba_L.jpg "Mind the [rural] funding gap")
With less funding now available, are rural communities feeling the pinch? Jessica Sellick investigates. Many community groups, parish and town councils, charities and social enterprises have relied upon grants programmes at one time of another to help them...
Are we obscuring nature’s true value and putting the rural environment at even greater risk? Jessica Sellick investigates. Back in 2011, the government published the UK's first National Ecosystem Assessment. Intended as a ground breaking report, it put...
Post Office Locals are meant to deliver a better service for customers, as well as savings for taxpayers. But something is going wrong, finds Brian Wilson. Post Office Locals are meant to deliver a better service for customers,...
What can be done to tackle loneliness in older rural people? Jessica Sellick investigates. One in five elderly people in the UK feels they have no-one to turn to, according to the Campaign to End Loneliness . So...
Is the government's Rural Productivity Plan focusing on the right issues? Jessica Sellick investigates. The government says its Rural Productivity Plan reaffirms its commitment to rural communities. But is it focusing on the right issues? And will it...
We are an island nation. But are we delivering benefits for our rural coastal communities? Jessica Sellick investigates. We are an island nation. None of us apparently lives more than seventy-five miles from the sea. Many people feel...
Viable alternative transport options to the car is important for the health and wellbeing of an ageing population, says Brian Wilson. A fairly recent news item told us that there are now more than 200 centenarians driving...
How can we support rural places to thrive? And what should be in the government’s rural Productivity Plan? Jessica Sellick investigates. Reasons why rural areas have grown or declined since the onset of the recession have been examined...
How lonely are countryside dwellers and what can be done about it? Jessica Sellick investigates. For many people, rural sights, sounds and communities are preferable to an urban lifestyle. But for others - particularly the young and elderly...
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HOT TOPICS
Amid reduced public spending, fair resource allocation across regions is crucial. Despite a population larger than Greater London, rural areas receive significantly less funding for essential services, even though delivering these services in rural areas is more expensive.
Economic growth is widely acknowledged as essential for national wealth and prosperity and is a priority for political parties. Rural economies, employing millions and home to a higher proportion of small businesses, have potential for growth if barriers are removed.
Rural residents face distinct healthcare challenges, including limited access to transport, longer distances to medical facilities, an aging demographic, housing inadequacies, digital connectivity gaps, and difficulties recruiting health and care workers.
Rural communities are grappling with a severe affordable housing crisis, marked by high house prices, a lack of affordable housing, elevated living costs, and lower incomes, threatening their sustainability and vitality.
Transport is vital for the quality of life and economic health of rural areas, yet it faces challenges such as infrequent public bus services and less Government funding compared to urban regions.
Rural areas, encompassing a substantial portion of England's population and land, play a pivotal role in combating climate change and achieving the net zero target.
In an increasingly digital world, the lack of robust digital infrastructure in rural areas severely limits access to crucial services and stifles economic growth.
A future-focused vision for rural communities involves not just building the right homes in the right places but also ensuring thriving, sustainable communities.
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