Latest News
03 Feb 2020
Lloyds Banking Group to shut 56 branches
YourMoney.com reported that Lloyds Banking Group has confirmed it will close 56 branches across the country between April and October, including 31 Lloyds, 10 Halifax and 15 Bank of Scotland...
Read more03 Feb 2020
Openreach to expand fibre to rural villages and market towns
Several trade press outlets, including E&T Magazine, TechRadar and IT Pro have reported on news that Openreach are expanding full-fibre rollout to cover 250,000 rural premises in more than 200...
Read more03 Feb 2020
RSA: English towns need levelling-up with cities on devolution
Towns and rural areas in England must benefit from the next wave of devolution alongside cities, with a majority of all people in England wanting greater local decision-making, according to...
Read more03 Feb 2020
Village on Life Support
Stoke Saint Gregory, a small village in rural Somerset, is in danger of losing its heart. In the past few weeks its only shop closed and moved into a temporary...
Read more27 Jan 2020
Increased council tax in rural areas
Rural communities continue to suffer as the gap in council tax between urban and rural areas continues to grow. On average those living in rural communities pay £105 more than...
Read more27 Jan 2020
Government pledge to reassess funding for rural schools facing ‘bleak’ future
The Yorkshire Post reports the Government has pledged to reassess its funding for rural education amid stark warnings that schools in Yorkshire’s countryside communities are facing a perilous future due...
Read more27 Jan 2020
Visa launches scheme to enhance access to cash in rural areas
Electronic Payments International reported on news that Visa has launched an industry-wide ‘access to cash’ scheme to encourage retailers to offer cashback. The initiative specifically targets areas in the UK...
Read more27 Jan 2020
BT calls on fellow operators for investment fairness in rural UK network scheme
Computer Weekly followed up on BT’s calls for prior investments in UK mobile infrastructure to be recognised in formulating the operators’ investment in the Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN) scheme....
Read more27 Jan 2020
Academic Research Survey on the Psychological Impact of Farm Crime in the UK
A new anonymous research survey has been launched to gather data on the wider implications of farm crime across the UK While many reports talk about the effect farm crime...
Read more27 Jan 2020
Rural Lancashire looks set to be protected from almost 1,000 new homes
Plans for almost 1,000 new homes in rural Lancashire look set to be rejected following a recent landmark ruling on the county’s housing needs. Applications for 974 new homes were...
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