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Fairer funding to address the local penalty
The Rural Services Network was concerned to read the article in Local Gov this week which highlighted research from Knight Frank indicating that ‘a disproportionate amount of Government funding for housing is being given to the UK’s most affluent areas’....
On 13th October the Rural Services All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) met Steve Barclay MP The Chief Secretary to the Treasury to raise a number of rural issues ahead of the upcoming Spending Review. The RSN provides Secretarial Support to...
The Government announced earlier in the year its Comprehensive Spending Review which is carried out approximately every three years to allocate funding to departments which provides certainty for government departments to plan ahead The Government asked for written representations...
Call for Government to level-up rural areas to support England’s economic recovery from COVID-19 Rural Coalition urges Government to unlock untapped potential of rural communities and economies and to address long-standing inequalities A coalition of thirteen...
The Guardian has reported on warnings from the Institute for Fiscal Studies that English councils could face a £2 billion ‘perfect storm’ over the next few months Without additional financial support from the Government, councils ‘face a difficult choice...
Rural Authorities have yet again been unfairly treated by Government in financial distributional issues. This time it is in respect of the distribution of the Track and Trace Public Health Grant allocation. The distribution of the grant was published...
Disadvantaged communities suffering from the impact of Covid-19 could be delivered another hammer blow in just a matter of weeks unless a vital scheme that encourages investment is continued. Social enterprises and social investors are urging the Government to...
Last week, whilst announcing an addition £1.6 bn of funding for local authorities (now £3.2bn in total), the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed that the move to 75% business rates retention and the fair funding review will...
At the Rural Services Network we recently sent to all of our local authority SPARSE-Rural members (for whom we carry out work and representations on the Local Government Funding Formula) a report from our Finance Consultants - Pixel setting out...
Local authorities (upper tier and unitary) are responsible for improving the health of their local population and reducing health inequalities In 2020/21 the total public health grant to local authorities will be £3.279bn, increasing from £3.134bn in 2019/20. The...
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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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