Rural Business

Our work on Local Government Finance is split into two areas, the Fairer Funding  campaign and a financial analysis of local authority budgets.

Hot Topics

15 Jun 2020

New digital platform launched to support small organisations – Digital Boost

A new free-of-charge online platform that brings together leaders of small businesses and charities with a community of digital expert volunteers launched in the UK today. Digitalboost.org.uk is on a mission to help small...

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01 Jun 2020

UK Shared Prosperity Fund must replace lost EU rural funding

Farming Life has called for urgent progress to be made on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to replace EU funding that will be lost due to Brexit Programmes like the...

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26 May 2020

The Plunkett Foundation write to Local Authority Leaders

The Plunkett Foundation (alonside other organisations) has written to Local Authority Leaders to highlight the importance of local social enterprises, co-operatives and community businesses to their local area Local Authorities...

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18 May 2020

New centre to help unlock potential of the UK’s rural economies

Newcastle University and partners will lead a new National Centre to support enterprise, resilience and innovation among rural firms and unlock the untapped potential of rural economies across the UK...

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18 May 2020

Slash tourism VAT to kick-start rural economy, says rural business group

The Eastern Daily Press reports on calls from countryside business leaders to cut VAT on tourism businesses to five percent to help the rural economy recover from the COVID-19 crisis...

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11 May 2020

One in 10 rural English and Welsh properties don’t have superfast broadband option

Several outlets report on the fact that fibre is ‘the key to productivity’ for rural businesses, yet one in 10 rural English and Welsh properties don’t have a superfast broadband...

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20 Apr 2020

COVID-19 – Rural business update

The Somerset County Gazette rounds up some of the ways COVID-19 is affecting rural property owners and businesses The article points out that the COVID-19 outbreak has exposed the weaknesses...

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30 Mar 2020

Call for more support for rural firms impacted by coronavirus

On Wednesday, Farming UK echoed calls for the Government to issue ‘rural proofed’ support for businesses in the countryside impacted by the coronavirus Rural businesses, which often differ considerably to...

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23 Mar 2020

Business Grant payment arrangements: COVID-19

CIPFA and the Institute for Revenues Rating and Revaluation (IRRV) have published some useful guidance on the new business grant payment arrangements Business Support Grants Fund.  “[Poperties in receipt of...

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02 Mar 2020

Village setting the trend for rural community shops

ITV reported on the popularity of community-owned rural shops, run largely by volunteers across the country, amidst national news that high street shops are increasingly shutting down There are now...

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