New rules will worsen the rural housing crisis
A letter, co-signed by the Rural Services Network, the Rural Housing Alliance, Plunkett Foundation and Acre has been featured in the Telegraph on 29th August 2020, highlighting the rural housing crisis The letter states: The Government’s proposed changes to planning rules mean that over two thirds of rural communities in England are unlikely to benefit […]
NICRE adds its support to Rural Conference
The Rural Services Network (RSN) is delighted to announce that NICRE, the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise has lent its support for their National Rural Conference, taking place later this month The RSN has moved its traditional conference usually held at the University of Gloucestershire online to ensure that as many of its members can […]
Rural Market Towns Group reaches their century
RSN are establishing a new Rural Market Towns Grouping The size of this group has gone past the 100 member milestone with members coming forward from across all rural areas of England. It is vital in our view that Rural Market Towns and larger Parish Councils in England have a grouping across which to network […]
Labour must stand with Britain’s rural workforce
Hywel Lloyd, co-founder of Labour Coast and Country, has urged readers of Labour List of the importance in understanding the issues facing non-urban communities He lists issues including the already limited availability of affordable housing, which he maintains the planning white paper will ‘exacerbate’; the lack of connectivity, with ‘vast swathes’ of the country left […]
Countryside residents say there’s ‘no point’ calling the police over rural crime
The Mail on Sunday has reported that a quarter of crime victims in rural areas don’t report offences as they do not trust police to help Nearly half of countryside residents don’t believe officers take rural crime seriously, despite 94 percent saying the issue was having a ‘significant’ impact on rural communities. Of the 8,000 people surveyed […]
Poor transport and internet services ‘damage rural children’s mental health’
The Planner has reported on research that has found a lack of access to public transport and the internet is leaving children in remote rural communities suffering ‘prolonged isolation, exclusion and insecurity’ A Centre for Mental Health study has revealed that eight to 13-year-olds in remote rural and coastal communities are struggling to receive mental […]
Housing targets hit Tory shires most, ministers are warned
The MJ has reported on warnings from ministers that proposed changes to the housing targets formula could mean more developments in rural Conservative-held council areas than in traditionally Labour-held inner cities An algorithm outlined in the Government consultation document suggests more housing could be earmarked for rural than urban areas, mainly in London and the […]
Hampshire County Council adds £1million to rural broadband scheme
Hampshire County Council is investing £1 million to step up its drive to get high-speed broadband out to the most rural parts of the county The funding will ‘top-up’ the Government’s existing Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, to help people in hard-to-reach locations get a fast, reliable broadband service. The County Council’s Executive Member for Commercial Strategy, Human Resources and Performance, Councillor Stephen Reid, […]
No answer to parking problems in rural villages, say councillors
Richmondshire Today has reported that excessive parking in rural villages is an increasingly widespread problem in with ‘no satisfactory solution’ Local Councillor Allen Kirkbride raised concerns that villages were ‘jammed with cars’ especially at holiday times. Rural residents complained of the lack of parking availability with visitors’ cars parked on pavements and rough land obstructing […]
Hinterland – 1 September 2020
This time in Hinterland: a worrying report on the mental health challenges facing young people in rural areas, a personal testimony about the challenges of poor broadband access in rural areas, too much litter, too few buses and the growing threat of a truly miserable winter. All rounded off by the obituary for David Bryant […]
