Rural Services Network - Rural Services Network

Stimulating economic growth is the top priority for the government, MPs have been told.

FIBRE broadband will be rolled out to around 98% of West Sussex homes and businesses within three years.

ALMOST three-quarters of rural voters feel politicians are more interested in city dwellers, suggests a poll.

GUIDELINES to ensure government policies don't discriminate against rural communities have been published online.

THE rural economy faces a battle to avoid slipping again into recession, says a report.

BROADBAND speeds in the countryside continue to languish behind those in larger towns and cities.

Changes to planning rules will make it easier to bring redundant rural buildings back into use.

RURAL crimefighters could win £1000 by helping to keep countryside communities safe.

A MIXED picture of rural life is painted by the latest statistics published by DEFRA.

What can be done to help those in poverty in the countryside? Jessica Sellick investigates.

CHEAPER energy bills could be offered to rural communities that agree to local shale-gas extraction.

North Yorkshire Police is stepping up the fight against countryside crime with a new rural watch scheme.

RURAL residents are being urged to help bring superfast broadband to North Dorset.

A "major landmark" for the coalition government will help boost local economic growth, say ministers.

THE final share of a £20m funding pot to alleviate homelessness has opened for bids.

WORRYING ambulance response times in rural areas are going unnoticed, an influential MP has warned.

POLICY-MAKERS could do more to encourage the economic potential of rural areas, say experts.

THE government says it is continuing to look at ways of improving rural broadband services.

THE government's communications watchdog has outlined measures to safeguard rural postal services.

THE Post Office is to launch its own current account in a move that could benefit rural communities without a regular bank.

Up to £500,000 of new funding has been made available through one of the country's leading rural charities.

THE Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website has become part of the single GOV.UK domain.

ONE in three rural youngsters fear they will have to leave their area to find a job, reveals a study.

INADEQUATE funding for public services is among a raft of challenges faced by countryside communities.

A new Rural Health Network has been established following a ground-breaking “Challenging Times” conference in Nottingham last autumn.

LOCAL policing teams have been provided with two new all terrain vehicles to help them cover hard to reach rural areas.

The impartiality of the BBC's coverage of rural areas of the UK is to be examined by a special review.

THE rural areas with the best quality of life have been pinpointed by an annual survey of Great Britain.

THIRTY village halls will be provided with wireless internet under plans unveiled by a rural district council.

RURAL communities must not be unfairly disadvantaged by the Budget, the Rural Services Network has warned.

SHOPS owned and run by local communities reduce rural isolation, says a study by a leading charity.

THE government's localism agenda is having little impact on the ground, suggests a report.

BUSINESS leaders are urging the government to reduce VAT on rural tourism services.

PARISH and town councils have welcomed a programme to help people develop their own neighbourhood plans.

PUBLIC funding should be used to attract investment in superfast rural broadband networks, says a report.

MORE funding is urgently needed to train volunteer drivers to keep vital community transport schemes on the road, say charities.

VITAL repairs are needed to minor roads and rural routes seriously damaged by winter weather, local authorities and business leaders have warned.

SYLVIA Brown, chief executive of the charity Action with Communities in Rural England, is to retire at the end of March.

PRINCE Charles has voiced his concern for rural communities, highlighting the importance of the British countryside.

RESIDENTS have voted a resounding 'yes' in the UK's first neighbourhood plan referendum.

LOCAL authorities are employing novel ways trying to ease housing problems.

RURAL tourism is set to benefit from a major new TV series.

COUNCIL tax bills are higher for rural residents than they are for people in predominantly urban areas, the government has confirmed.

How can we balance tight budgets with the need to improve rural public transport? Jessica Sellick investigates.

ALMOST three-quarters of residents are satisfied with the way local councils run services, reveals a report.

HIGH-SPEED broadband moved a step closer for Buckinghamshire, which wants a company to lay cables in areas with slow or no connections.

The government says it is again considering whether to reduce fuel duty for rural motorists.

FIVE police forces took part in a joint operation to crack down on rural crime across almost 4,000 square miles of northern England.

THE Rural Services Network has welcomed a government promise to do more to support and manage the extra costs of delivering public services in the countryside.

RURAL residents in Lancashire have some of the UK's fastest internet speeds after creating their own community broadband network.