Future of Rural Areas

The RSN is challenging often overlooked rural threats such as chronic underfunding, changes in population and diminishing resources.

Hot Topics

15 Apr 2019

Faster growth predicted in rural areas after Brexit

New research from the Centre for Economics & Business Research (CEBR) predicts faster economic growth in rural areas than urban areas over the next four years, according to Farming UK....

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15 Apr 2019

Ofcom urged to dump rural mobile plan

The Times reports that mobile operator Three has called on Ofcom to change its plan to improve mobile coverage in the countryside. Three said that Ofcom’s plan ‘lacked ambition’ and...

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15 Apr 2019

Rural firefighters take on new role fighting crime

Image credit – APEX Firefighters in Devon have taken on a new crime fighting role, report the BBC and The Telegraph. A police force in rural Devon has trained firefighters...

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15 Apr 2019

Attack launched on fair funding review

During Prime Minister’s Questions last week, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that the current fair funding formula ‘will make poorer areas even poorer’ and claimed the Prime Minister had ‘pushed...

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15 Apr 2019

Rural housing market details revealed

The estate agent Knight Frank has published research in Estate Agent Today and Property Wire that examines differences in house prices across rural and urban areas. Figures show that over...

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08 Apr 2019

Rural Takeover of BBC RADIO5 LIVE

Along with Felicity Humphrey, the Public Affairs Manager from Acre, Action with Communities in Rural England, our Chief Executive Graham Biggs appeared on the BBC Radio 5 Lunchtime show on...

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08 Apr 2019

Bus travel trapped in expensive cycle

I news reports on research showing that bus travel costs are rising faster than the cost of driving, discouraging passengers from travelling by public transport. Statistics from the Department for...

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08 Apr 2019

Rural schools struggle with deprivation and achievement

Schools Week and the Big Issue this week report on results that show that children in rural areas on free school meals score lower in tests than their urban peers...

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08 Apr 2019

Seaside towns killed off by poor broadband

Seaside towns are suffering from poor access to high-quality broadband, according to an article in The Telegraph covering the recent Lord’s Select Committee report on Regenerating Seaside Towns. The report...

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01 Apr 2019

Council leader argues for fairer rural funding

Derbyshire County Council leader Barry Lewis has argued for a fairer funding settlement for rural areas in the Local Government Chronicle this week. He cites analysis by the Rural Services...

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