Council leader argues for fairer rural funding
Derbyshire County Council leader Barry Lewis has argued for a fairer funding settlement for rural areas in the Local Government Chronicle this week. He cites analysis by the Rural Services Network that shows that the current funding regime awards rural authorities £123 less per person than urban authorities, and asks: ‘Rural residents pay more, receive […]
Council tax rises highest in rural areas
This April will see the typical council tax bill in England rise by 4.7 per cent, according to the BBC. The rise is the second biggest in the decade after an average rise of 5.1 per cent last year. The higher costs are an attempt to fund policing and adult social care after local authority […]
Ofcom confirms rural broadband as 2019 priority
The website TotalTelecom reports on the publication of telecoms regulator Ofcom’s 2019 priorities. Ofcom has put 5G and rural connectivity at the top of its priority list for the year. In a press statement it said: ‘We want to see rural communities getting the kind of mobile coverage that people expect in towns and cities.’ […]
Mobile companies to share masts to improve rural signal
The Daily Telegraph reports that Britain’s main mobile operators – BT, 02, Three, and Vodafone – are nearing a deal to improve ‘patchy signals in the countryside’. Despite previous reports that there were disputes between the companies, a two-pronged approach is currently being discussed. The plan would create a ‘new barter system to allow the […]
Government invests in rural bus service
IT Pro and Yahoo News report that the Department for Transport is hoping to transform rural bus services with a digital system that opens up bus location data to developers. Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani announced £4 million, part of the Future of Mobility strategy, to create a platform to provide better information to passengers about […]
Rural schools desperately need help
The Yorkshire Post has today published a letter calling for ‘desperately’ needed help for the area’s rural schools. Falling pupil numbers have been blamed for a loss of funding which has left many primary and even secondary schools struggling to remain open. The paper also believes that: ‘The schools’ difficulties are indivisible from the wider […]
Citizens’ Panel encourage a rural community voice
People from rural communities are being encouraged to have their say on the financial and economic issues they face directly to senior policy makers at the Bank of England. The Bank is running citizens’ panels across the UK which will offer people a chance to have their say on issues such as jobs, pay, housing, […]
