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Future of Rural Areas
I news reports on research showing that bus travel costs are rising faster than the cost of driving, discouraging passengers from travelling by public transport. Statistics from the Department for Transport found that 4.31 billion local bus journeys were...
Schools Week and the Big Issue this week report on results that show that children in rural areas on free school meals score lower in tests than their urban peers on free school meals. Pupils from poor families in...
Seaside towns are suffering from poor access to high-quality broadband, according to an article in The Telegraph covering the recent Lord’s Select Committee report on Regenerating Seaside Towns. The report found that substandard connectivity has meant many coastal areas...
Derbyshire County Council leader Barry Lewis has argued for a fairer funding settlement for rural areas in the Local Government Chronicle this week. He cites analysis by the Rural Services Network that shows that the current funding regime awards...
This April will see the typical council tax bill in England rise by 4.7 per cent, according to the BBC. The rise is the second biggest in the decade after an average rise of 5.1 per cent last year....
The website TotalTelecom reports on the publication of telecoms regulator Ofcom’s 2019 priorities. Ofcom has put 5G and rural connectivity at the top of its priority list for the year. In a press statement it said: ‘We want to...
The Daily Telegraph reports that Britain’s main mobile operators – BT, 02, Three, and Vodafone – are nearing a deal to improve ‘patchy signals in the countryside’. Despite previous reports that there were disputes between the companies, a two-pronged...
IT Pro and Yahoo News report that the Department for Transport is hoping to transform rural bus services with a digital system that opens up bus location data to developers. Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani announced £4 million, part of...
The Yorkshire Post has today published a letter calling for ‘desperately’ needed help for the area’s rural schools. Falling pupil numbers have been blamed for a loss of funding which has left many primary and even secondary schools struggling...
People from rural communities are being encouraged to have their say on the financial and economic issues they face directly to senior policy makers at the Bank of England. The Bank is running citizens’ panels across the UK which...
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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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