Latest News
16 May 2022
Poor broadband hinders resilience among rural businesses
Sub-standard infrastructure in rural areas – particularly lack of quality broadband – is affecting businesses’ ability to be resilient and bounce back from adversity, according to a major survey from...
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16 May 2022
Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund announces challenge areas for second round of funding, to help accelerate the transition to net zero
Ofgem and Innovate UK have announced the challenge areas for the second round of innovation funding under the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), which opens for applications in early September 2022...
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16 May 2022
Loss of BPS will cost South West economy £883m, report finds
Farmers Weekly reports that the rural economy in the South West of England is set to lose hundreds of millions of pounds over the next five years due to the...
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16 May 2022
Government must act on the interests of rural economy, CLA says
Farming UK reports that the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has issued that the Government must set out clear steps on how it will level up the rural economy...
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16 May 2022
Landline digital switch puts rural areas ‘at risk’, say campaigners
BBC reports that BT is planning to replace analogue phone lines with broadband based ones by 2025 Under the new scheme, rather than being plugged into a phone socket, handsets...
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16 May 2022
Rural renters flood back into London after pandemic exodus
The Telegraph reports that renters have flooded back to London and triggered a record jump in the cost of leasing a home in the capital Almost a third of London...
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09 May 2022
Rural Lens Review of UK Shared Prosperity Fund Prospectus and Allocations
On 13 April Government published the eagerly awaited UK Shared Prosperity Fund Prospectus, to find out how rural communities have fared we have produced a Rural Lens Review of the...
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09 May 2022
What could be in this year’s Queen’s Speech relevant to rural areas?
The State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday 11 May, marks the formal start of the parliamentary year. During the ceremony, the Queen’s Speech allows the Government to set out its...
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09 May 2022
Importance of Rural Digital Champions
Research suggests that local authorities that have prioritised digital connectivity and appointed Digital Champions, have had significant success in speeding up rollout and improving relationships with telecommunications companies. Mobile UK,...
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09 May 2022
Levelling up just got tougher, says Michael Gove
The BBC report that Michael Gove, the cabinet minister for levelling up, has said rising prices are making the government’s plans to reduce regional inequalities more difficult and more important...
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