The RSN works to encourage a thriving rural economy in order to help support our rural communities.
T: 01822 851370 E: admin@sparse.gov.uk
Lockdown 3.0
We are still here at the RSN for all of our customers and partners. We remain working from home, ready to support you all to ensure that the rural voice is heard at a national level. We'd love to hear from you if you have any queries or want to get in touch admin@sparse.gov.uk
Finance
Our work on Local Government Finance is split into two areas, the Fairer Funding campaign and a financial analysis of local authority budgets.
Fairer Funding
- SPARSE Rural as an organisation defends the rural interest and the Sparsity Allowance in the Local Government funding formulae.
- We consider the formula funding to be woefully inadequate. It goes nowhere near to meeting the higher costs of operating essential services in rural areas.
Did you know that:
- Spending Power per head is £99 less in rural areas than in urban areas … yet …
- Council Tax is £79 higher per head in rural areas than in urban areas … this is because …
- Formula Grant is £178 lower per head in rural areas than urban areas.
Put simply, rural communities are paying more for less provision in their local areas.
Rural Fair Share Group
The Rural Fair Share Group is a grouping of parliamentarians who have come together to argue for fairer funding for services across rural England. The Secretary of the Group is Graham Stuart MP.
Click here to view a presentation on Spending Power Analysis from March 2013 comparing Rural and Urban areas.
Click here to see the Governments Pledge on Rural Services
Local Government Finance Settlement
Below is an analysis provided to local authorities and rural MPs in January 2014 which illustrates the current rural to urban divide in the financial settlement 2014:
- Local Government Finance Settlement Analysis
Future areas of work:
- Early Review of Localisation of Business Rates
Financial Analysis
We provide a range of analysis for local authorities, considering their individual RA position (revenue estimate) and RO position (Revenue Outturn) compared with other authorities and groups of authorities:
04.01.2021
The Government announced the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement on 17th December 2020 This sets out the funding that Local Authorities will receive for the period 2021-2022. The Rural Services Network is concerned that once again,...
22.12.2020
Last week’s Provisional Settlement for 2021/22 for local government once again means rural residents paying more in Council Tax (per head) than their urban counterparts . The Government’s policies show rural residents in comparison to urban getting less government...
17.12.2020
RSN reaction to Provisional Local Government Financial Settlement The Rural Services Network welcomes the news of an increase in Rural Services Delivery Grant in the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2021-2022 announced today. The RSN represents over...
30.11.2020
Last week the Government announced a one-year Spending Review for 2020, the long- term spending review being abandoned in favour of a short term approach to prioritise the response to Covid-19 and a focus on supporting jobs. There are some...
26.11.2020
The hotly anticipated Comprehensive Spending Review was announced today, and given the unprecedented times in which we live, it was always going to be critical to see how the Government would support the shrinking economy and ensure the sustained delivery...
16.11.2020
The BBC report that a recent survey undertaken by the County Councils Network (CCN) shows several local authorities could be forced into ‘damaging’ cuts to services next year to remain solvent. Only one in five of England's county councils and...
04.05.2020
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...
30.03.2020
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...
23.03.2020
MHCLG is concerned about the overall financial and cashflow impact on local authorities. They have asked for information about the effects on authorities, and, in a letter from the Secretary of State to local authority chief executives, have asked...
24.02.2020
The Rural Services Network has long campaigned for fair funding for rural areas. Along with our member local authorities, we aim to influence government policy to fully recognise and address the issues faced by rural communities across England including full...
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HOT TOPICS
Public Sector Funding
The RSN demands fairer funding from Central Government who have historically and systematically underfunded rural areas.
Barriers to Access
The RSN campaigns to help rural residents overcome multiple access barriers to key services which includes poor transport and broadband.
Future of Rural Areas
The RSN is challenging often overlooked rural threats such as chronic underfunding, changes in population and diminishing resources.
Health and Wellbeing
The RSN wants to ensure rural communities have the same access to health care as is currently received in urban areas.
Vulnerability
Rural residents can suffer from Rural Vulnerability, due to a combination of issues such as poor transport, lack of broadband low wages and higher than average house prices.
Housing
The affordability of rural housing to people from a range of ages and backgrounds is key concern for RSN.
Economy
The RSN works to encourage a thriving rural economy in order to help support our rural communities.
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