Rural Fair Funding
Amid reduced public spending, fair resource allocation across regions is crucial. Despite a population larger than Greater London, rural areas receive significantly less funding for essential services, even though delivering these services in rural locales is costlier.
22 Apr 2025
Rural Growth Must Power National Renewal
Newly released figures from DEFRA’s Rural Economic Bulletin reveal a stark warning: productivity in England’s most sparsely populated rural areas has fallen to just 84% of the national average, down...
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22 Apr 2025
Housing Crisis is a Health Crisis
A powerful new report from Crisis, supported by Health Equals, is shining a spotlight on how unaffordable private rents are driving people into poor health and homelessness. Titled “Now I...
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22 Apr 2025
Will Metro Mayors Deliver for the Countryside?
On Thursday 1 May 2025, voters in parts of England will head to the polls to elect metro mayors for several combined authority areas. These roles come with strategic powers...
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14 Apr 2025
Elevating Rural Voices: RSN’s Year of Impact
As the national voice championing rural services, the Rural Services Network (RSN) is proud to reflect on a year of meaningful progress, advocacy, and collaboration. In 2024/25, we continued to...
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14 Apr 2025
Call for Urgent Investment in Rural Housing as Crisis Grows
At Current Rates, Clearing Rural Social Housing Waiting Lists Would Take 89 Years. A pioneering partnership between housing and homelessness organisations has launched a report to make the case to...
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14 Apr 2025
New Plan to Boost Neighbourhood Policing Nationwide
Last week, the government announced a new set of measures aimed at improving visibility, responsiveness, and trust in local policing. As part of the broader “Plan for Change”, the Neighbourhood...
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07 Apr 2025
England’s Homeless Children
The report “England’s Homeless Children: The Crisis in Temporary Accommodation,” recently published by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, provides a comprehensive analysis of the escalating situation of homelessness...
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07 Apr 2025
Fixing NHS Dentistry
The latest “Fixing NHS Dentistry” report by the Public Accounts Committee provides a comprehensive overview of the ongoing concerns in NHS dental services across England, with an emphasis on the...
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07 Apr 2025
Navigating the Shift to Digital Landlines
The imminent transition from traditional analogue phone systems to digital landlines has stirred significant concern among rural MPs, as highlighted in a recent parliamentary debate. Led by Damian Hinds MP,...
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31 Mar 2025
Addressing the Unique Challenge of Fuel Poverty in Rural Areas
In the latest fuel poverty update from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, a concerning pattern emerges in England’s rural communities. These areas are grappling with the highest...
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