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

20 May 2024

New Powers to Revitalise High Streets and Fill Empty Shops by Summer 2024

New powers for communities to regenerate high streets and fill empty shops will be in force by the summer, the government announced last week. High Street Rental Auctions, a new...

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22 Apr 2024

Community Ownership: Empowering Rural Communities in England

Plunkett UK, a charity supporting community ownership across the UK, has released its 2024 Impact Report, highlighting the transformative effect of community-owned businesses in rural areas. In this article, the...

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08 Apr 2024

Royal Mail Proposes Major Service Overhaul Amid Financial Struggles

Royal Mail has announced a proposed overhaul of its service, aiming to address the challenges of plummeting letter volumes and financial losses. The proposal includes maintaining a six-day-a-week delivery service...

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11 Mar 2024

Spring Budget 2024

The Spring Budget, presented last week by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, has sparked interest and concern among rural communities and their advocates. The Rural Services Network (RSN) has identified areas of...

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04 Mar 2024

Skills And Labour Shortages Hinder Rural Business Performance and Growth

Labour shortages and skills gaps are major challenges for rural businesses which are hindering their performance and growth potential, according to a major new survey from the National Innovation Centre...

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19 Feb 2024

Give Feedback on Rural Business Growth Decision – Making Tool

Economic development and regeneration professionals are encouraged to participate in shaping a new practical analytics platform geared at guiding rural business policy. The Rural Enterprise Support Analytics (RESA) tool focuses...

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19 Feb 2024

Ofcom Seeks Views from Rural and Remote Areas on Postal Service Modernisation

In an era where digital communication has significantly reduced the volume of letters, yet the demand for parcel delivery continues to soar, Ofcom has initiated a discussion on the future...

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05 Feb 2024

Employment of people living in rural and coastal communities

The House of Commons Library recently published a report to inform Westminster Hall debate held on 1 February. The report highlighted that rural and coastal constituencies tend to have different...

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05 Feb 2024

Unlocking Growth: Rural Business Grants Now Available for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Businesses

In a substantial boost to rural businesses, the Rural Business Grants scheme has been launched in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. With a commitment of £1 million, this initiative...

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22 Jan 2024

Growth opportunities for rural businesses, but long-standing challenges remain

Businesses in rural areas perceive new opportunities for growth but long-standing challenges such as affordable housing, transport and broadband capacity are hampering take-up, according to a major new survey from...

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