Chronic increase of ‘hidden’ homelessness in the countryside fuelled by cost-of-living crisis, ground-breaking report shows
The countryside is battling a ‘hidden homelessness’ crisis driven by soaring housing costs and a gaping shortfall in local authority funding, a new report shows
RSN response to Spring Budget 23
The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP launched the Spring Budget 2023 last week in Parliament and the Rural Services Network has been exploring some of the headline announcements to see their impact for rural communities. Indeed, whether the policies introduced have been rural proofed at all is up for discussion with rural mentioned only once in the whole 122 page document (apart from in the title of DEFRA).
Rural Fuel Poverty Gap widens
Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics published on 28 Feb 2023 for the year 2022 show that in 2022, households living in rural areas have a higher rate of fuel poverty and a much larger fuel poverty gap
Rural poverty ‘overlooked’ by government, researchers warn
Farming UK reports that the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people living in the countryside are being ‘overlooked and underserved’ by government policy, according to researchers from Newcastle University, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and Inverness Impact-Hub
More cash to fix Devon’s broken roads found
Devon Live reports that North Devon’s MP Selaine Saxby has welcomed extra funding to fix Devon’s potholes, after she raised the issue of North Devon’s roads numerous times in Westminster
Helen Morgan MP says rural areas ignored over Levelling Up
The Border Counties Advertizer reports that North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has accused the Government of “pork barrel politics” after fresh Levelling Up funding was handed out to the ‘Red Wall’ constituencies at the expense of rural areas
£250,000 in grant funding available for rural projects from The Prince’s Countryside Fund
The Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF) is inviting applications for grants of up to £25,000 from community projects across the UK, with up to £250,000 available
