Rural Economies

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.

Hot Topics

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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26 Feb 2024

Winning the Rural Vote: Focus on Unleashing Rural Economic Potential

Each week we are focusing on a different policy area within our ‘Winning the Rural Vote Campaign’ and this week we are exploring the Rural Economy. The economic contribution of...

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26 Feb 2024

New Rules to Balance Holiday Lets & Housing in Rural England

In order to address the escalating housing affordability crisis in rural and tourist-heavy regions of England, the Government has announced a set of measures aimed at regulating the burgeoning holiday...

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20 Feb 2024

Job Quality Indicators

The attached analysis presents ONS indicators of the quality of jobs (hours, earnings and contract information) in the UK using earnings data from the Annual Population Survey (APS) from 2018...

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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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12 Feb 2024

Winning the Rural Vote

In anticipation of a forthcoming general election, it’s crucial to address the challenges faced by rural communities. Constituting 40% of parliamentary constituencies, rural votes hold significant sway. The Rural Services...

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12 Feb 2024

Need for Fair Funding for Internal Drainage Boards

Need for Fair Funding for Internal Drainage Boards A Special Interest Group of the LGA, the Internal Drainage Board levies stressed the need for fair funding at a Parliamentary event...

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12 Feb 2024

Government Invests £1B in Rural Broadband: Bridging the Digital Divide

The Government committed to spend £5 Billion through Project Gigabit, a programme aimed at ‘delivering lightning-fast, reliable broadband to every corner of the United Kingdom.’ They have recently unveiled details...

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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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