Scrutiny Archives - Rural Services Network

Kerry Booth: Why Fair Funding Matters for Rural Councils

Maryann Macaulay — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:44:00 +0000

Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of the Rural Services Network, was recently invited to contribute a blog reflecting on the funding challenges faced by rural councils. We are pleased to share her article below.

Public services are the backbone of this country, quietly carrying on in the background, making sure that our bins are emptied, our children can get to school, and our most vulnerable are cared for.

At the Rural Services Network we believe that every council should have the resources it requires to meet the needs of its residents. We will only succeed if we enable our rural communities to thrive, alongside our cities, and contribute to the prosperity of the nation. It is perhaps our version of ‘Every Child Matters’.

It is clear that this requires fairly funding rural councils, removing barriers that inhibit the growth of the rural economy, such as improved digital connectivity, access to affordable homes, transport to access skills, training and employment opportunities and effective planning to deliver the right homes, in the right places, with access to infrastructure.

After all, rural England is full of potential. Research shows that if we grow the rural economy, we could potentially add £19 billion to the Treasury. But what happens when the mechanisms that fund councils leave services at risk, and there is a lack of resources available to meet residents’ needs?

This Government has a clear policy aim: it wants to help our most deprived communities. We agree – yet also know that deprivation exists not only in our cities, but also in our villages and hamlets. This is often under-recognised and hidden when statistics and data are collated for larger areas.

Rural councils have long suffered from unfair funding, with the Local Government Finance Settlement leaving them at a disadvantage under successive governments.

The Settlement for 2025–26 saw the £110 million Rural Services Delivery Grant abolished, which had been providing some respite for councils facing the additional costs of rural service delivery. The introduction of the £600 million Recovery Grant, designed to support councils with higher need and service demands based on high clusters of deprivation, has ultimately directed funding towards our cities and away from our rural communities.

As a result, for 2025–26, urban councils receive 40% more in Government Funded Spending Power per head than rural councils. Over the years, to counteract the lack of funding, rural councils have had to increase council tax to balance the books. This means if you are a rural resident, you now pay on average 20% more in council tax than your urban counterpart.

In practice, this means that if you live in a city, the government contributes more to your public services, while if you live in a village, you pay for more of your services yourself – all while your cost of living is likely to be higher, including transport, housing and heating costs.

The Fair Funding 2.0 consultation seems to provide a route to meeting the needs of rural residents, with a fundamental review of the Local Government Funding Formula taking place over the summer. We now await the changes to the formula that will follow, though with a change at the top of MHCLG, it remains to be seen how this will progress in the short term.

This consultation said it would take into account the differing needs of rural and urban authorities. Yet it also wanted more evidence on the additional costs faced by rural councils that were ‘isolated from major markets’. Our councils provided such evidence – showing that not only do they face additional travel time, with the implications that brings for funding services, but are also impacted by their remoteness. There were examples of contracts being let with only one tender received, often from the existing provider, leaving little room for cost negotiation. Councils also highlighted the higher premiums they must pay for home care provision in their more remote areas, as well as the heavy burden of rural Home to School transport in local authority budgets. In some cases, councils reported having to pay for ‘dead miles’ where taxis must travel out from cities to rural communities to transport children to school, adding to the premium charged.

If we do not acknowledge and address the additional costs rural councils face in delivering services to their communities, we risk alienating a sixth of the population who live in rural England. More people live in rural areas than in Greater London.

The government now has an opportunity to put this right: to support and invest in rural communities, address long-term under-investment, and help rural areas contribute to a growing UK economy as places that can thrive too.

Powered by its members, the Rural Services Network is the national champion for rural services, working to influence national policy and secure a fair deal for rural communities.

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Living in Rural England? Help Inform Future Utility Decisions

Maryann Macaulay — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:25:24 +0000

The Rural Services Network is encouraging rural residents to take part in important new research from Rural England CIC – and to help share it across their communities before the end of August.

Rural England CIC, an independent, not-for-profit research organisation focused on rural life, is gathering evidence on how people living in rural areas think about and use energy and water. The findings will help ensure that utility companies and policymakers better understand the needs, behaviours and experiences of rural households.

The research is being conducted via a short online questionnaire, open to anyone living in a rural area in England. It explores how people manage their energy and water consumption, and what changes – if any – they are making or considering.

Why take part?

Rural areas often face unique challenges when it comes to heating, insulation, water supply and affordability. This research provides a valuable opportunity to make sure rural realities are properly considered in future planning and decision-making.

How you can help:

If you live in rural England, please complete the questionnaire
Share the link with others in your area – friends, neighbours, community groups
Respond by 30 September 2025

COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE HERE

This research is being led by Professor Martin Phillips from the University of Leicester. For further information about the project, contact him via the details provided at the questionnaire link.

Thank you for helping to build a clearer picture of how rural residents are navigating energy and water use – your views will make a difference.

The post Living in Rural England? Help Inform Future Utility Decisions appeared first on Rural Services Network.

Rural Housing Emergency

Maryann Macaulay — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 13:18:27 +0000

Affordable Housing Need 50% Greater in Rural Areas, Report Reveals

England’s rural communities are experiencing an affordable housing crisis of unprecedented scale, with the need for affordable homes is more than 50% higher than in urban areas, according to a groundbreaking new report published.

The comprehensive study, “Mind the Gap: How Rural Communities Are Falling Behind on Affordable Homes,” conducted by housing experts arc4 Ltd, Rural Housing Solutions, and English Rural, exposes severe and growing housing pressures in rural areas. Utilising arc4’s detailed Rural Affordable Housing Needs Model (RAHNM), the research provides robust, granular data demonstrating that rural settlements require an average of 17 new affordable homes per 1,000 households annually – substantially higher than the 11 homes per 1,000 households needed in urban areas, excluding Greater London.

Contrary to the idyllic image often portrayed, rural England faces acute housing shortages, with the most critical situation found in small villages where there is an annual need reaching up to 19 new affordable homes per 1,000 households, highlighting the particularly intense pressure faced by England’s smallest rural communities.

The human impact of this housing deficit is starkly illustrated by the average waiting times for affordable homes, which in some rural locations extend up to an astonishing 93 years. Such extensive waiting periods effectively deny many current residents any realistic chance of securing affordable housing within their lifetime.

Dr Michael Bullock, lead researcher at arc4 Ltd, stated:

Our rigorous analysis lays bare an unavoidable truth: the affordable housing need is significantly greater in rural England compared to urban areas. Without immediate action, rural communities risk further decline and isolation.

Jo Lavis, Director of Rural Housing Solutions, emphasised the broader social implications:

The chronic shortage of genuinely affordable homes is hollowing out our villages, driving young people away, and leaving essential local workers unable to live nearby. This crisis threatens not just housing security, but the very survival of vibrant rural communities.

Martin Collett, Chief Executive of English Rural, echoed the urgency:

The report’s findings serve as a wake-up call demanding immediate government action. Rural housing associations are poised to deliver solutions but require significant policy reforms and targeted investment to address these unique rural challenges.

Last week’s announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves of a £39 billion programme to boost affordable housing represents a potentially transformative investment in addressing the broader housing crisis.

However, while this significant injection of funds has been warmly welcomed by housing organisations, including the National Housing Federation, it remains unclear how this programme will specifically address the acute and distinct challenges faced by rural communities. Given that the need for affordable housing is particularly severe in England’s rural areas, as demonstrated in this report, there is an urgent requirement for clarification and targeted commitment to ensure rural communities are not overlooked in this landmark initiative.

The report identifies several critical factors driving the rural housing crisis, including:

Higher Prices, Lower Pay: Dominance of high-priced detached homes in village markets, coupled with wages significantly below urban levels, creates a severe affordability gap.
Limited Tenure Options: Affordable housing constitutes only 9% of housing stock in rural areas compared to 17% in urban settings, drastically limiting options for low-income households.
Insecure Private Rental Market: The rural private rental sector is increasingly unaffordable, insecure, and diminishing as properties convert to holiday lets, exacerbating the crisis.

The authors propose a comprehensive “Rural Affordable Housing Package” to urgently address this escalating issue:

Planning for Parity: Empowering local authorities to mandate affordable housing contributions on developments of ten or fewer dwellings.
Unlocking Land Supply: Abolishing Capital Gains Tax on land sold for rural affordable housing developments.
Matching Grants to Needs: Setting national targets for rural Affordable Homes Programme completions and increasing grant rates for smaller rural schemes.
Leveraging Devolution: Incorporating specific rural housing targets in Combined and Mayoral Authorities’ strategies.
Boosting Local Capacity: Funding a national network of Rural Housing Enablers and Community-Led Housing Advisers to accelerate and enhance delivery.

The “Mind the Gap” report underscores the critical need for decisive action to secure the future of England’s rural communities, economies, and social networks. For full access to the detailed findings and recommendations, please read the report here.

An infographic can be found here.

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NAO Highlights Weaknesses in Developer Contributions System

Maryann Macaulay — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 13:55:26 +0000

A recent report from the National Audit Office (NAO) highlights significant weaknesses in the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s (MHCLG) developer contributions system in England — a key mechanism for funding local infrastructure such as schools, roads, public transport, and affordable housing.

The NAO found that staffing gaps in Local Planning Authorities (LPAs), complex Section 106 negotiations, and inconsistent use of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) are limiting councils’ ability to secure and manage contributions effectively.

Key findings include:

In 2023/24, 44% of affordable homes were delivered via Section 106, but over 17,000 homes remain unsold to housing providers.
Developers’ financial viability assessments often go unchallenged due to limited local authority expertise.
Many LPAs lack up-to-date local plans, increasing infrastructure pressures.
Over £8 billion in contributions remained unspent in 2024, with risks of funds being reclaimed if not used.

The government has launched initiatives to improve skills and speed up housing delivery and plans to update viability guidance in 2025.

The NAO recommends improving transparency, reviewing viability assessments, and encouraging greater use of the CIL.

Read the full report here.

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Spending Review: £1bn Call to Tackle Bus Service Gaps

Maryann Macaulay — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:20:57 +0000

Campaign for Better Transport is calling for an additional £1 billion a year for buses as its analysis reveals four out of every ten wards in England and Wales (3,003 out of 7,608) do not have a ‘reasonable’ level of bus service.

The transport group estimates that an additional revenue investment of less than £1 billion a year is needed to improve the lives of millions of people and give these communities a decent bus service.

Campaign for Better Transport is urging the Chancellor to include the additional £1 billion a year needed in the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review (11 June) to help increase access to work and education, boost the economy, and connect more communities to the wider public transport network.

Ben Plowden, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said:

Buses are an essential public service. Increasing access to local buses is one of the quickest and most cost-effective ways of reducing social exclusion, boosting local economies and building thriving communities. Investing an extra £1 billion a year in our bus services—around half a per cent of the NHS budget—would have a huge social and economic benefit and would be great value for money for taxpayers.

Campaign for Better Transport looked at all 7,608 electoral wards in England and Wales and classified them by population density. A ‘reasonable level’ of bus service was defined as: at least one stop per 300 people and 300 weekly trips on average per stop in high density areas; one stop per 200 people and 150 weekly trips in medium density areas; and one stop per 150 people with 50 weekly trips in low density areas.

Campaign for Better Transport found that six out of every ten wards (4,605 out of 7,608) met the criteria of having enough stops and services for the size of the population. However, of the remaining wards, 2,552 had enough bus stops, but not enough bus services; 312 had enough services, but too few stops; and 139 had neither. Meaning that four out of every ten wards in England and Wales do not have a reasonable level of bus service.

To ensure that all areas have both enough bus stops, and enough services for the population, Campaign for Better Transport is urging the Chancellor to provide an additional £1 billion a year revenue funding for buses to fill the gaps and ensure every community can access a decent level of bus service.

Campaign for Better Transport included its £1 billion bus investment ask in its Comprehensive Spending Review submission to the Treasury.

To keep Britain moving, the group is also urging the Chancellor to:

Prioritise investment in local transport – buses, walking, cycling and local safety improvements – over large-scale road schemes

Support local transport devolution by giving all local transport authorities long-term funding settlements

Freeze rail fares and support a root-and-branch review of the entire fares and ticketing system

Maintain and renew existing transport infrastructure, focusing on essential rail upgrades, bus and active travel infrastructure and fixing potholes

Support public transport investment through fairer taxation of airlines and private jets, and by ending the 5p full duty cut.

Next week is Better Transport Week, taking place from 16 – 22 June.

Find out more about how you can get involved here.

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Benefits Processing

Richard — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 10:59:01 +0000

The Benefits Processing analysis within the Performance Benchmarking section on the RSN website has now been updated to Quarter 4 2023/24. The speed of processing is a measure of the average time it takes to process a new Housing Benefit claim or a change of circumstance to an existing Housing Benefit claim. The average time is measured in calendar days, rounded to the nearest day. It is an important measure since a swift process ensures those in need of this benefit do not suffer undue uncertainty at a stressful time in their lives. It is useful to authorities to understand how their own level of service compares with similar and neighbouring authorities, to provide perspective on the service that they offer.

These analyses provide benchmarking on speed of processing for new claims and change of circumstances. Data comes from Department for Work and Pensions, statistics on the average number of days to process a new Housing Benefit claim or a change of circumstance to an existing Housing Benefit claim.

LATEST RSN ANALYSIS:

RSN Benefits Processing Analysis 2022/23

Analysis user guide
District Analysis
– Analysis of Benefits Processing (Q4) 2023/24
Unitary Analysis
– Analysis of Benefits Processing (Q4) 2023/24

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:

Please contact admin@sparse.gov.uk for more information about our analyses or to suggest further areas of work where you feel your authority would benefit from benchmarking information.

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Council Tax Collection Rate

Richard — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 11:06:04 +0000

These analyses present National Statistics on the collection rates of council tax and non-domestic rates by local authorities.

The in-year collection rate is the amount of council tax (or non-domestic rates) due for the financial year that was received by 31 March of the year in question shown as a percentage of the net collectable debit in respect of that year’s council tax (or non-domestic rates). In other words, it is the amount of council tax (or non-domestic rates) collected by 31 March shown as a percentage of the total amount that local authorities would have collected if everyone liable had paid what they were supposed to. It includes prepayments made in respect of the current year but does not include the payment of any arrears in respect of previous years, nor any prepayments made in respect of following years.

The collection of both council tax and non-domestic rates continues once the financial year to which it relates has ended. This means the final collection rate achieved is somewhere between the figures shown in this release and 100%.

Many authorities reported that their collection rates in 2021-22 have continued to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic that caused a temporary reduction or pause of recovery and enforcement action, either by the authority or because courts were closed and the resumption of these services begun later in 2021.

LATEST RSN ANALYSIS:

RSN Council Tax and NNDR Collection Rate 2023/24

Analysis user guide
District Analysis
– Analysis of Council Tax and NNDR Collection Rate up to March 2024
Unitary Analysis
– Analysis of Council Tax and NNDR Collection Rate up to March 2024

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:

Please contact admin@sparse.gov.uk for more information about our analyses or to suggest further areas of work where you feel your authority would benefit from benchmarking information.

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Planning Turnaround

Richard — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:00:24 +0000

Development Management – Planning Analysis

This development management analysis includes consideration of turnaround times for processing planning applications. These traditional performance measures, long collected by the Government to measure success in the planning system, are lagging indicators; they measure what has already happened in the system and are not necessarily an indicator of a good experience for the customer.

Turnaround time from the date of a valid application being received to a decision may only be 5 or 6 weeks, but from the customers perspective the clock starts when they hand in their application to the council, or their agent whether it is a valid application or not.

Planning will always be a contentious subject as the outcomes can affect so many individuals and organisations, a ‘good’ decision could differ for the applicant, neighbour, parish council or community as a whole and a range of factors should be considered by an authority to determine the successful performance of their planning department.

We would be interested to hear from authorities that are using alternative indicators to manage their performance or who would like to share their improvement stories with the rural planning community.

Our latest analysis focuses on the following indicators:

Turnaround time for Major Planning Applications
Turnaround time for Minor Planning Applications
Turnaround Time for Other Planning Applications

LATEST RSN ANALYSIS:

RSN Development – Quarterly Analysis

Analysis user guide

District Analysis
– Analysis for Quarter 1 & 2 2024

Unitary Analysis
– Analysis for Quarter 1 & 2 2024

RSN Development Management

Analysis user guide

District Analysis
– Analysis for the year ending June 2024

Unitary Analysis
– Analysis for the year ending June 2024

All figures contained within this analysis come from live tables on planning application statistics, found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics

Local Planning Authority Performance

Local planning authority performance is an important area to manage and monitor, with significant consequences where an authority is deemed to be underperforming against set criteria (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-planning-performance-criteria-for-designation). To help understand your authority’s position, the following analysis presents data showing the speed and quality of decisions made over a two year period. All data is taken from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics, and future published data from the same source will be used to keep the analysis up to date.

– Analysis of Local planning authority performance

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:

Unitary – Analysis for the year ending June 2019

District – Analysis for Quarter 1, 2019 – 2020

Unitary – Analysis for Quarter 1, 2019 – 2020

District – Analysis for Quarter 4, 2018 – 2019

Unitary – Analysis for Quarter 4, 2018 – 2019

District – Analysis for the year ending March 2019

Unitary – Analysis for the year ending March 2019

District – Analysis for Quarter 3, 2018 – 2019

Unitary – Analysis for Quarter 3, 2018 – 2019

District – Analysis for the year ending December 2018

Unitary – Analysis for the year ending December 2018
District – Analysis for Quarter 2, 2018 – 2019
Unitary – Analysis for Quarter 2, 2018 – 2019
District – Analysis for the year ending September 2018
Unitary – Analysis for the year ending September 2018
District – Analysis for Quarter 1 2018 – 2019
Unitary – Analysis for Quarter 1 2018 – 2019
District – Analysis for the year ending June 2018
Unitary – Analysis for the year ending June 2018
District – Analysis for Quarter 4 2017 – 2018

Unitary – Analysis for Quarter 4 2017 – 2018

District – Analysis for the year ending March 2018

Unitary – Analysis for the year ending March 2018

Please contact admin@sparse.gov.uk for more information about our analyses or to suggest further areas of work where you feel your authority would benefit from benchmarking information.

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Recycling and Waste Management

Richard — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:42:08 +0000

Local Authorities are responsible for the collection of household waste. They are also required to provide a recycling service.

LATEST RSN ANALYSIS:

2022/23 Percentage of Municipal Waste Sent to Landfill

Analysis user guide
Unitary Analysis

– Percentage of Municipal Waste Sent to Landfill

County Analysis

– Percentage of Municipal Waste Sent to Landfill

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:

Unitary – Residual Household Waste Per Household 16/17

District – Percentage of Household Waste Sent for Reuse, Recycling or Composting 16/17
Unitary – Percentage of Household Waste Sent for Reuse, Recycling or Composting 16/17

District – Collected Household Waste Per Person 16/17
Unitary – Collected Household Waste Per Person 16/17
Unitary – Percentage of Municipal Waste Sent to Landfill 16/17
County – Percentage of Municipal Waste Sent to Landfill 16/17

Please contact admin@sparse.gov.uk for more information about our analyses or to suggest further areas of work where you feel your authority would benefit from benchmarking information.

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Autumn Statement 2023: What does it mean for rural?

Richard — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:28:41 +0000

It’s been nearly a week since the Chancellor delivered his Autumn Statement and RSN Chief Executive Kerry Booth and her team have been digesting what it means for rural communities and the organisations that serve them.

There were 6,366 words in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement; not one of them was ‘rural’. It seems like a good starting point for our analysis of the speech and the impact it will have on rural communities. A lot was promised in this statement, but how will it help people living in rural areas?

Let’s start with the increase in the minimum wage, which is absolutely welcomed, especially given the generally low wage economy across rural areas. However, the 9.78% increase (from £10.42 to £11.44) for some local government services will represent a substantial above inflation cost increase meaning they will have to find more money for wages when they are already underfunded by central government. This comes back to the way the government allocates funding and the fact that there is not an equitable formula in place. Until the government address fair funding for local authorities, positive measures like the increase in the minimum wage won’t be truly felt by everyone. In addition, for the vast numbers of small businesses in rural areas, particularly in the tourist industry, a greater wage bill will put pressure on those businesses who may need to increase prices to make ends meet.

We are also welcoming the 2 percentage point cut from 20% to 18% for National Insurance contributions from January 2024, again helping people working in rural areas where the wages are historically lower. We also welcome the cut to National Insurance contributions for the self-employed, given the high number of self-employed in rural areas.

In terms of affordable housing, the increase in the local housing allowance to the thirtieth percentile from April 2024 will help those in rented accommodation who are on low wages and on benefits. However rental prices in rural areas are traditionally higher than urban areas and so these renters still pay a premium to living in a rural area.

For the rural economy, the continuation of the 75% business rate relief for retail hospitality and leisure sectors in 24/25 up to £110,000 cash cap is very important given the high numbers of such businesses in rural areas. The business rate freeze in the small business multiplier in 24 /25 is also very welcome for the same reasons. Similarly, the VAT expanded scope for energy savings materials relief from 2024 should be beneficial.

Focusing specifically on local government, the news was also not great for local authorities with a long-term freeze in capital investment in the public sector. Furthermore, no new money was announced for local government in the Autumn Statement, as a result the RSN is continuing to campaign for fairer funding, having provided briefings in the last week to rural MP’s ahead of a Westminster Hall Debate this week on the issue.

One of the big announcements was around cutting red tape in the planning sector. The Chancellor says he intends to do that by giving local authorities the ability to increase planning fees for applications from larger businesses to recover the full costs. Good news on the face of it but these fees will have to be returned if the timelines are not achieved. RSN has long raised the point about the capacity of rural councils, including in respect of planning, and this new measure is likely to put additional strain on already under resourced departments. It is also likely to cause additional work for other areas of local councils as processing the refund of fees will place a further drain on resources.

We wait with anticipation to see how all these measures will be implemented and welcome any comments or feedback from Members on what impact they will have on providing services. Crucially, we would like to know if these measures will make services better for our rural communities. Please drop me a line via email with your thoughts.

Kerry Booth
RSN Chief Executive

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Scrutiny Archives - Rural Services Network

Kerry Booth: Why Fair Funding Matters for Rural Councils

Living in Rural England? Help Inform Future Utility Decisions

COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE HERE

Rural Housing Emergency

NAO Highlights Weaknesses in Developer Contributions System

Spending Review: £1bn Call to Tackle Bus Service Gaps

Benefits Processing

RSN Benefits Processing Analysis 2022/23

Council Tax Collection Rate

These analyses present National Statistics on the collection rates of council tax and non-domestic rates by local authorities.

RSN Council Tax and NNDR Collection Rate 2023/24

Planning Turnaround

Development Management – Planning Analysis

RSN Development – Quarterly Analysis

RSN Development Management

Local Planning Authority Performance

Recycling and Waste Management

Local Authorities are responsible for the collection of household waste. They are also required to provide a recycling service.

LATEST RSN ANALYSIS:

2022/23 Residual Household Waste Per Household

2022/23 Percentage of Household Waste Sent for Reuse, Recycling or Composting

2022/23 Collected Household Waste Per Person

2022/23 Percentage of Municipal Waste Sent to Landfill

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:

Autumn Statement 2023: What does it mean for rural?