Shared Rural Network plans agreed
The BBC reports the companies that run the UK’s mobile network have agreed a deal to eliminate signal dead zones in remote areas The Shared Rural Network aims to extend 4G coverage to 95% of the UK, no matter which network customers use, by 2025, three years later than first planned. The deal involves sharing […]
Rural health concerns
Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England and Chief Scientific Adviser for the DHSC outlined his views on health trends and projections over the next 20 years at a recent Nuffield Health Trust Summit 2020 The Summit brings together around 150 policy makers, senior managers and clinicians, researchers and international experts to reflect […]
New inquiry launched on the decline of rural bus services
The County All Party Parliamentary Group (County APPG) and the County Councils Network (CCN) have launched an inquiry into the decline of rural bus services This inquiry will investigate the decline of rural bus services and make recommendations to Government ahead of the publication of the recently announced National Bus Strategy A report published in […]
Flybe collapses as coronavirus deals final blow
On Thursday regional airline Flybe collapsed after a plunge in travel demand, making the long-struggling airline one of the first big corporate casualties of the coronavirus outbreak Reuters reported that the failure of an airline that connects all corners of the United Kingdom with major European destinations not only puts around 2,400 jobs at risk […]
Nearly two-thirds waiting for countryside stewardship cash
Several papers including Farmers Weekly and the Yorkshire Post reported on new figures that almost two-thirds of farmers are still waiting for their Countryside Stewardship (CS) money, with three months of the payment window left However the Government agency which pays farmers for schemes to protect the environment has reported an improvement in its payment […]
Rural broadband to be focus for Budget
The Daily Mail reports that chancellor Rishi Sunak vows to end patchy mobile phone reception and slow broadband in this week’s Budget The chancellor is tipped to announce a £1billion deal with telecoms firms to boost 4G coverage in rural areas in a move that will benefit more than 280,000 properties and 10,000 miles of […]
‘Libraries and Rural Touring Arts’ – maximising the potential of our nation’s libraries
National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF) to support touring into Libraries in a new national project funded by Arts Council England New figures reveal almost 800 libraries have closed since 2010. National spending has dropped, as has visitor footfall and the number of paid librarians. Libraries also face numerous external challenges, such as the growth of […]
‘Our world will shrink tremendously’ – Remote village set to be left behind
The Manchester Evening News interviewed residents of Mellor, a remote village in the Peak District, regarding their rapidly shrinking bus service The bus service could soon disappear altogether after Transport for Greater Manchester’s committee decided funding it is no longer financially viable, with its chairman Coun Mark Aldred saying a £10m cut for subsidised services meant ‘a line […]
Rural Economy Spotlight – March 2020
A quarterly bulletin facilitated by your membership of the Rural Services Network highlighting a selection of current rural economic development news, issues and opportunities Rural Strategy Roadshows press the case for a National Rural Strategy Organised by a partnership of Rural Services Network, Action with Communities in Rural England, The Rural Coalition and The Plunkett […]
