Rural Services Network - Rural Services Network

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.

A NEW scheme which aims to curtail rural thefts has been launched by Buckinghamshire County Council.

MORE than 30 MPs have demanded a fairer share of government funding for rural local authorities.

PEOPLE are being urged to lend their support to a bid to bring superfast broadband to rural Durham.

RURAL local authorities remain worse off than their urban counterparts – despite an additional £8.5m grant.

A £2.3bn government investment in flood defences continues to discriminate against rural areas, business leaders have warned.

RURAL businesses and organisations are to benefit from a £1m boost thanks to East Sussex County Council.

SOME 90,000 aspiring business people will receive training in a government drive for rural economic growth.

MANY farmers are struggling to make ends meet. How can we ensure they have a future? Jessica Sellick investigates.

HIGHER fuel prices paid by rural motorists are not the result of foul play, says the government's competition watchdog.

COUNCILS that have welcomed growth are getting a major boost to their spending power, says the government.

MORE than 300 community-run shops are being encouraged to enter the first awards for the sector.

THE countryside could be disadvantaged unless the government amends its Growth and Infrastructure Bill, rural business leaders have warned.

FARMHOUSE bed and breakfast businesses have helped generate £3.5bn for the rural economy, says a report.

PROPOSALS to ease planning rules will put the countryside at risk, say conservationists.

THE government says its £165m package of support measures unveiled in 2011 for the rural economy is bearing fruit.

THE government says it accepts that rural areas are underfunded when it comes to delivering public services.

RURAL business leaders are urging councils not to cut back on repairs to roads damaged by freezing temperatures.

RECENT approval for the upgrade of the UK's rural broadband network has been welcomed by distance learning service providers.

RURAL families will be hardest hit by government plans to cap benefit increases, a leading charity has warned.

WORKING well together is a key factor behind the success of some rural micro-businesses, says a report.

A CROSS-PARTY group of MPs has called on the government to reconsider the impact its funding settlement will have on rural communities.

RURAL leaders have struck a deal they say will bring faster broadband speeds a step closer for the countryside.

THE government is to "consider the case" for reducing the amount of fuel duty paid by remote rural communities.

RURAL job hunters are being given passes allowing them free bus travel in Northamptonshire.

THE 300th community-owned shop has opened, marking a significant increase in community-owned rural services across the UK.

A WET weather fund set up to help farmers and rural communities has reached £450,000.

THE controversial issue of reducing rural speed limits is to be debated by MPs.

RURAL leaders are joining forces with the police to combat countryside crime in Devon and Cornwall.

A NEW YEAR rebellion is to be launched against "grossly unfair" spending cuts set to "crucify" rural communities.

CONFIDENCE is growing in the rural business sector, suggesting the countryside is starting to emerge from the recession.

COUNCILS are planning to build 272,720 fewer new homes since the abolition of regional planning, says a report.

LIFE-SAVING equipment is being made available to rural communities across East Anglia, thanks to the Co-operative Society.

One in five people in the UK live in or around small rural towns. But can they thrive? Jessick Sellick investigates.

SATELLITE broadband is essential if internet speeds are to be speeded up in rural areas, believes a government minister.

A NEW initiative will see police officers dedicated to tackling offenders who target farms and rural communities in Suffolk.

RURAL communities will bear the brunt of government cuts making it even harder for councils to maintain services.