Rural England hosts Rural Vulnerability Day 2021
Last week, supporters and stakeholders of Rural England came together for this year’s Rural Vulnerability Day
Opposition Day Debate on Planning Changes
An opposition day debate took place last week on 21st June focusing on proposed changes to planning legislation
Housing inequalities are growing while more properties are converted to holiday use
The Guardian has recorded their views on second homes and urge main homes to be put first
Broadband capacity is major obstacle to digital adoption for rural businesses
Businesses in rural areas have cited broadband capacity as a major obstacle to digital adoption in the latest research by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE)
How affordable rural homes change lives and communities (Cotswold focus)
English Rural is holding the second of a series of planned, regional webinars, focussing on how affordable rural housing changes lives and communities
Unused high street retail spaces could deliver 25,000 new homes
New research suggesting that empty high street stores, including Debenhams, could provide space for up to 25,000 homes
Battles loom as housing developers eye rural England
Large areas of South Downs National Park are set to be developed into new towns in order to meet Boris Johnson’s housebuilding targets of 300,000 a year, with a new formula to determine how these are distributed and an overhaul of planning laws to make it easier for developers to overcome opposition
Supporting rural jobseekers into work
With job vacancies recovering strongly, the labour market is in a state of flux again
Digital connectivity still a tremendous challenge for rural communities
rural connectivity broadband vulnerability isolation
Air source heat pump: a low carbon heating solution for a rural, off gas home
An article in Energy Saving Trust explores methods of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, including by replacing fossil fuel boilers with electric heating systems, like a heat pump, which run entirely on electricity. The report outlines how air source heat pumps can be a cost-effective, sustainable way of heating rural properties, which can help with the planning and building approvals. Some local councils have installed heat pumps in rural villages when there’s no gas available but plenty of space to install the pump.
