Observatory (Archive)

The Observatory opens the window to a statistical view of rural life. It provides analyses and comment on key service provision and issues affecting rural communities.

 ECONOMY 

The Observatory section on the Economy looks at all elements of the rural economy such as employment, small businesses and wage levels to build a picture of the impact on rural communities.

 HOUSING

Balancing the housing market, improving the quality of housing stock, and enabling the provision of affordable housing are all key issues which concern rural local authorities. These are often topical issues and the Housing section of the Observatory considers what the data available can tell us about the position in rural communities, and what challenges rural communities might face in the future.

 ENVIRONMENT

Both rural and uban environments face similar challenges with issues such as flooding, flytipping however the implications of these issues can be significant in rural areas where the cost of dealing with them is significantly higher per incident. Delivering waste management services to rural communities also has significant challenges in terms of cost and logistics and analysis on these issues and other environmental concerns are included in this section.

 HEALTH, WELLBEING & SOCIAL SERVICES

A civilized society is one in which health and wellbeing are promoted, and care is provided to those requiring help or assistance to live a full and productive life. The benefits of a healthy community are measurable both in terms of economy and the relative levels of happiness and fulfillment experienced. Likewise, the negative impact of health inequality is also a measurable factor in the wellbeing of a community. This section of the Observatory takes a look at the indicators of health, wellbeing, and the functions of social services to provide a perspective on how rural communities fare in these measures.

 LEARNING, SKILLS & EDUCATION 

The mission of the Department for Education is to develop a highly educated society in which opportunity is more equal for children and young people no matter what their background or family cirumstance. This section of the Observatory investigates whether these opportunities extend to children and young people from rural England.

 LOCAL SERVICES 

What makes our rural communities sustainable and vibrant? At the heart of our communities are elements such as access to services, healthcare, education, shops and community facilities. This section includes analysis in these areas.

 TRAVEL & TRANSPORT

Transport, travel and the associated infrastructure required to move about an area are particularly important to those living in rural isolation to access services, education/training and employment. The Travel and Transport section of the Observatory presents data that shows the reality of rural life and rural service provision.

 EMERGENCY SERVICES  

Emergency services provision including fire and rescue services, face particular challenges in their rural communities that can be quite different to their neighbouring urban communities. This section of the Observatory includes data on these issues and also considers community safety and related issues for rural communities.

 ENGLISH INDICES OF DEPRIVATION 

The English indices of deprivation 2015 were published in September 2015, and measure the relative deprivation of small areas in England. Details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2015
Statistics on relative deprivation in England are given in this section.

Hot Topics
Quarterly Voice of Small Business Index Analysis – a rural/urban perspective

13 Feb 2013

Quarterly Voice of Small Business Index Analysis – a rural/urban perspective

RSN developed analysis of The Federation of Small Businesses ‘Quarterly Voice of Small Business Index survey results.’ This analysis provides an insight into rural and urban areas for the quarters...

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Quarterly Voice of Small Business Index Analysis

13 Feb 2013

Quarterly Voice of Small Business Index Analysis

The Federation of Small Businesses produce a Quarterly Voice of Small Business Index, a report that looks at capacity levels, employment, revenues and the confidence of small firms. The Index...

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Active People Survey Analysis 6

14 Dec 2012

Active People Survey Analysis 6

The sixth year of the survey, Active People Survey 6, started in mid October 2011 and ran continuously for 12 months until mid October 2012. The full year results were...

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Relative Cost of Rural Living

12 Dec 2012

Relative Cost of Rural Living

Household budgets are increasingly stretched in meeting basic living costs. Using key measures, the financial pressures experienced by the average household can provide a picture of the relative cost of...

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Travel Distance Snapshot

03 Dec 2012

Travel Distance Snapshot

It is clear that to live in rural areas presents challenges with regard access to services, engaging in business, commuting to work, as well as participating in social activities. –...

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Car Use Analysis

03 Dec 2012

Car Use Analysis

Car use is a significant mode of transport for many in rural areas, with households very often needing more than one vehicle to fulfil the demands of rural living. –...

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Fuel poverty

03 Dec 2012

Fuel poverty

A household is said to be in fuel poverty if it spends more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain a satisfactory heating regime (usually 21 degrees for...

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Active People Survey Analysis 5

03 Dec 2012

Active People Survey Analysis 5

Sport England’s Active People survey is the largest ever survey of sport and active recreation to be undertaken in Europe. Analysis of Sport England’s Active People Survey 5– Analysis User...

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Voice of Small Business (2012)

03 Dec 2012

Voice of Small Business (2012)

Conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses, the ‘Voice of Small Business’ survey provides a macro-economic picture of the UK economy as experienced by small firms. Our analysis of this...

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Rural Economic Indicators

03 Dec 2012

Rural Economic Indicators

To help you assess the impact of the downturn on rural communities, we have conducted our own analysis of DEFRA’s economic indicators. DEFRA’s dashboard of economic indicators can be accessed...

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