Latest News

Hot Topics

09 Nov 2020

Homes England funding rule undermines ‘levelling-up agenda’

The Rural Services Network was concerned to read the article in Local Gov this week which highlighted research from Knight Frank indicating that ‘a disproportionate amount of Government funding for...

Read more

09 Nov 2020

Better digital connections can help level up rural North Yorkshire

Cllr Don Mackenzie writes in the Yorkshire Post this week about the need for improved connectivity for rural constituents He explains the urgent need for high quality broadband as part...

Read more

09 Nov 2020

New village shop comes to the aid of customers

An enterprising Devon pub that supported its local community during the pandemic has opened a new village shop with the support of Pub is The Hub, the not-for-profit organisation that...

Read more

02 Nov 2020

Rural homelessness in England rises by 115% in past two years

The Rural Services Network, along with CPRE and English Rural Housing commissioned research into the Economic and Fiscal case for investing in rural affordable housing to drive post-pandemic recovery This...

Read more

02 Nov 2020

Rural Toolkit Launch

The Institute of Economic Development (IED) and the Rural Services Network (RSN) have devised a new practitioner-focused toolkit which is intended as a guide for “anyone seeking to raise rural...

Read more

02 Nov 2020

Britons claim they will head to rural areas for second lockdown

Papers including The Daily Mail and Property Investor Today cover news that people are reportedly temporarily migrating away from cities to rural areas in anticipation of the second countrywide lockdown...

Read more

02 Nov 2020

PM’s promises on buses have failed to turn up

Robert Goodwill MP (Con), chairman of the newly formed All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Bus and Coach Industry, wrote in The Times this week that the Government needs to urgently...

Read more

02 Nov 2020

Plunkett releases key reports into community pubs and shops

The Plunkett Foundation has recently released its flagship reports into community pubs and community shops – showing both sectors to be in robust health as the country was plunged into...

Read more

02 Nov 2020

Pub converts shipping container into shop for Longburton residents

Left to right: Becky Gibbons, son Kai Gibbons and John Gibbons outside The Larder A shipping container converted into a village shop in a Dorset pub has come to the...

Read more

02 Nov 2020

Despair of young over life and work in countryside is risk to rural communities – The Yorkshire Post says

The Yorkshire Post reports on fears that young demographics are ‘pessimistic’ about their prospects in rural communities, seeing both the effects of the pandemic and Brexit as likely to compromise...

Read more