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The Final Local Government Finance Settlement is now confirmed. Our updated analysis examines the implications for rural areas. Read more.
The Association of Convenience Stores launched the 2026 Rural Shop Report, in Parliament last week. The report reveals that rural retailers have spent over a quarter of a billion pounds in the last year improving their range of products and...
Rural MPs from across the political spectrum used a Westminster Hall debate on 4 February to raise serious concerns about the reliability of postal services and the future of post offices in rural and remote communities. The debate was secured...
Public Digital has published a new report exploring how local public services can move beyond crisis management towards more preventative, collaborative and user-centred models of delivery. Drawing on a Public Digital session held in November 2025, the report brings together...
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2026 report shows that poverty remains a persistent feature of life for millions of people across the UK, with little overall change in headline rates but a clear shift towards more severe hardship. In...
Phase 2 of the New Homes Accelerator has launched, widening support to unblock stalled housing developments and accelerate delivery across England. The programme has already helped speed up progress on more than 125,000 homes by tackling planning delays, infrastructure challenges...
Plunkett UK has expressed disappointment at the government’s announcement of a 15% discount on pubs’ business rates bills from April. The national charity warns that the measures are nowhere near enough to stem the crisis facing the sector – particularly...
Job numbers continue to fall and recruitment stutters. 2025 saw a fall in the number of people on payrolls and the estimated number of vacancies in the UK also fell. Obviously national statistics come from all sectors but the countryside, conservation...
Pub is The Hub may be able to offer grants of up to £6,000 to publicans in rural, remote, or deprived areas, who want to offer additional services and/or activities in their pubs to help local communities. These can include a...
Following last week’s Annual General Meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Rural Services, the Group’s Chair, Sarah Dyke MP, has written separately to Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, setting out her concerns...
The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee has published a new report, First 1000 Days: a renewed focus, examining how effectively England is supporting children and families during the critical period from conception to age two. The inquiry...
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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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