Services
19 Nov 2014
Councils show ‘clear signs’ of cutbacks
GOVERNMENT cuts are forcing local authorities to reduce public services, a financial watchdog has warned. Authorities had coped well with reductions in government funding, but some groups of councils were...
Read more18 Nov 2014
£25m unveiled for rural transport
THE government has unveiled £25m in funding to provide hundreds of minibuses for rural communities. The scheme will support voluntary organisations as they provide vital services for people in rural...
Read more09 Nov 2014
Renewed fears for rural bank branches
BIG banks are being urged to keep branches open in small towns where there are no other banks left. The call by business secretary Vince Cable follows announcements by three...
Read more05 Nov 2014
New law could end mobile ‘not spots’
MOBILE phone companies could be forced to share networks under plans to eliminate ‘not-spots’ where users are left with no signal. The proposal is included in a three-week consultation launched...
Read more03 Nov 2014
MPs launch rural broadband inquiry
AN influential committee of MPs has launched an inquiry into rural broadband coverage. The inquiry by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee follows concern that rural communities will...
Read more26 Oct 2014
Kent police scoop rural crime award
KENT Police have been named the country’s best rural crime fighters at a special awards ceremony in London. The Kent Police rural liaison team was crowned the best country crime...
Read more20 Oct 2014
Rural postal service under threat
REGULAR postal deliveries to remote communities must continue, the Rural Services Network has warned. The network made the assertion in a written submission to the House of Commons Business, Innovation...
Read more20 Oct 2014
£75m fund to transform fire services
FIRE and rescue authorities will receive £75m to work together in a move the government says will improve efficiency while saving public money. Some 37 projects across the country will...
Read more20 Oct 2014
Faster broadband for rural Dorset
RURAL communities across North Dorset will benefit from faster broadband next year, says the local council. Faster internet speeds will be made available to 9,000 properties across nine communities by...
Read more12 Oct 2014
Rural pubs are community hubs
A TYPICAL rural pub injects £100,000 into the local community – and is much more than just a place to drink. The impact of pubs on rural communities in England...
Read more