Latest News
27 Jul 2018
Former ombudsman reviews access to cash
The former head of the Financial Ombudsman Service is to examine the impact on consumers and small businesses of the shift from cash to digital payments. Natalie Ceeney has previously served...
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26 Jul 2018
£45m investment in rural broadband
Rural businesses and communities are set to benefit from a £45m package to improve broadband access in the countryside, says the government. The new funding for the government’s Rural Broadband...
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26 Jul 2018
Police unveil rural crime strategy
Police chiefs have launched a rural affairs strategy to help combat crime in the countryside. The rural strategy was launched by the National Police Chiefs Council at a rural summit...
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24 Jul 2018
Revised planning policy published
New planning rules will make it easier for councils to challenge poor quality and unattractive development – and give communities a greater voice about local development, says the government. Building attractive...
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24 Jul 2018
Rural welcome for digital connectivity
The Rural Services Network has welcomed a government pledge to prioritise the connection of hard-to-reach rural areas to faster broadband services. The promise is contained in a national, long-term strategy...
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23 Jul 2018
Rural communities living ‘in fear of crime’
Rural communities are living in fear of crime, unhappy with the police and feeling isolated and vulnerable, according to the latest National Rural Crime Survey. Published by the National Rural...
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23 Jul 2018
Peers ask for evidence on rural economy
A House of Lords committee is asking for views on the opportunities, challenges and prospects for the future in rural communities. The House of Lords Select Committee on the Rural Economy recently...
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22 Jul 2018
Calor unveils latest rural project winners
Energy company Calor has announced the winning projects that have received funding from the Calor Rural Community Fund. The 2018 fund offers rural off-grid communities the chance to gain funding...
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18 Jul 2018
Police to launch rural crime strategy
Police chiefs are to officially launch their first strategies aimed at addressing the challenges around rural communities and wildlife crime. The strategies – devised by the National Police Chiefs Council – were unanimously supported by...
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18 Jul 2018
Postcodes reveal rural broadband black spots
Britain’s fastest broadband speed is to be found in rural Lancashire – thanks to a community-built full-fibre network, suggests an analysis by the Financial Times. But the example is an...
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