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.
23 Feb 2026
Northern Powergrid Secures Funding To Boost Grid Resilience
Northern Powergrid has announced a significant funding boost from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) for two pioneering innovation projects, each helping to advance the development of a smarter, more resilient...
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16 Feb 2026
Final Local Government Settlement: Key Questions Remain For Rural Services
The Government has published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026–27 to 2028–29. The settlement sets out how much funding local authorities will receive over the next three years...
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16 Feb 2026
NAO Calls For Clarity Ahead Of New Housing Delivery Fund
A new report from the National Audit Office examines government programmes designed to unlock land for housing and highlights the steps needed to ensure value for money as a new...
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16 Feb 2026
Rural Connectivity In Focus
RSN Member Exclusive Seminar: Rural Connectivity Wednesday 25 February 2026 | 11:00–13:00 | Online Our next member-exclusive seminar will focus on Rural Connectivity, bringing together national policymakers, industry experts and...
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16 Feb 2026
Village Halls Week 2026
The popular campaign, Village Halls Week, is set to take place from 16-22 March 2026. The intention is always to raise awareness of England’s 10,000+ rural community buildings. In 2026...
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10 Feb 2026
RSN Initial Response: Final Local Government Finance Settlement Published
The Government has yesterday (9th February) published the Final Settlement for Local Government Finance ahead of the debate tomorrow in Parliament. You can find out more about the final settlement...
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10 Feb 2026
UK’s Rural Shops Invested Over £280m In Last Year
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...
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10 Feb 2026
Exploring the role of alternative clean heating solutions
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Closed 10 February 2026 Exploring the role of alternative clean heating solutions This consultation sought views on low carbon heating technologies that could...
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09 Feb 2026
Postal Services In Rural Areas Under Scrutiny In Westminster Hall
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...
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09 Feb 2026
Public Digital Report On Challenges Facing Local Services
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...
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