Rural Fair Funding
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 locales is costlier.
27 May 2025
New RISE Report Shows Coastal And Rural Young People Missing Out On University
Higher education opportunities are being increasingly restricted for the poorest young people from rural and coastal communities. The Coast and Country: Access to higher education cold spots in England shows...
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27 May 2025
New Figures Expose Rural Fuel Poverty Gap
DEFRA’s latest Statistical Digest of Rural England (May 2025) shines a spotlight on the ongoing issue of fuel poverty in rural areas, revealing the tough reality faced by many rural...
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19 May 2025
Funding Reform Must Deliver for Rural Communities
The latest Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee session held on 7th May 2025, placed funding and sustainability of local government finance under close examination. Minister of State for Local...
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19 May 2025
Ofcom Publishes Spring 2025 Connected Nations Update
Ofcom has released its Connected Nations Update: Spring 2025, providing the latest snapshot of broadband and mobile coverage across the UK. The report highlights continued progress in rolling out faster...
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12 May 2025
Adult Social Care Reform: The Cost of Inaction
The Health and Social Care Committee has delivered a stark warning to Government: without fully understanding and addressing the true cost of inaction, efforts to reform England’s social care system...
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12 May 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill Proposes Measures to Fast-Track Development
The Government has introduced the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which sets out a package of proposed reforms aimed at speeding up the delivery of housing and critical infrastructure across England....
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12 May 2025
GP Surgery Refits to Ease Appointment Access
Patients across England are set to benefit from over 8.3 million additional GP appointments each year, as part of a government-funded programme to modernise more than 1,000 GP surgeries. Backed...
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12 May 2025
Child Homelessness Hits Eighth Record High
New government statutory homelessness figures reveal that child homelessness has hit a record high for the eighth consecutive quarter, with 165,510 children now living in temporary accommodation—a 14% rise in...
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12 May 2025
Councils Given New Powers to Tackle Fly-Tipping Vehicles
The Government has announced new powers for councils aimed at tackling the persistent problem of fly-tipping across England’s streets, lanes and rural areas. Under the latest measures, local authorities will...
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06 May 2025
A Royal Call to Action at the Rural Housing Conference
The Rural Services Network was proud to be represented by Assistant Chief Executive Nadine Trout at last week’s Rural Housing Conference, jointly hosted by English Rural and Action with Communities...
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