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16 Jan 2023

Suffering from the rural cost of living? Make your thoughts known in household survey

The Rural Services Network in partnership with the Citizens Advice Rural Issues Group has launched a Rural Cost of Living Household Survey   Independent research commissioned by the RSN in summer...

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16 Jan 2023

MPs to hear plan to get rural households to run heating on vegetable oil

The Guardian reports that a proposal to incentivise households in rural areas to run their heating systems on vegetable oil is to be put to parliament The former environment secretary,...

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16 Jan 2023

South West rural bus services underfunded

Teignmouth Today reports that local campaigners battling to save south Devon’s rural bus services have said the fight goes on Dawlish and Teignbridge councillor Alison Foden has been fighting to...

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16 Jan 2023

Rural villages ‘under assault’ by greenfield property development

The Express reports that analysis by the Campaign to Protect Rural England suggests there are currently more than 400,000 homes with planning permission on greenfield sites Even if planning applications...

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16 Jan 2023

Residents worried after sewage bills spike

The BBC has reported that some residents living in rural villages have raised concerns over a “horrific” increase in their sewage bills A number of ex-council homes across the Test...

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09 Jan 2023

2023-2024 Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement Proposals and what it means for rural communities

Under the Provisional Settlement proposals, the gap in funding between rural and urban areas will, in fact increase. There is therefore a continuation of historic underfunding and unfairness for rural...

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09 Jan 2023

Broadcast 2040+ campaign update

Since the summer launch of Broadcast 2040+, the campaign has gone from strength to strength. The campaign has expanded the coalition of partners (of which the Rural Services Network is...

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09 Jan 2023

Defra Update – Money Available for Farmers and Land Managers

Defra is increasing money available for farmers and land managers. On the 5th of January, Minister Mark Spencer gave a speech at the Oxford Farming Conference, in which he announced more...

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09 Jan 2023

John Craven: Countryside waste crime has reached crisis point

Countryfile reports that fly-tipping and illegal dumping in the countryside is costing £1 billion every year, as a recent report by MPs accuses DEFRA and the Environment Agency (EA) of...

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09 Jan 2023

Countryside Skills course aims to help career paths

Devon Live reports that a six-week “Countryside Skills” course will be held next month for unemployed people interested in working in the environment and countryside management sectors The course, which...

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