Rural Services Network - Rural Services Network

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.

Rural communities will bear the brunt of government cuts that will force local councils to slash their services.

AN £87,000 boost looks set to help a community spirited village provide a new post office and affordable housing.

A MAJOR milestone was reached when the government's rural superfast broadband programme connected its first village.

BUS funding in much of England has seen a second year of significant cuts, claim public transport campaigners.

A NEIGHBOURHOOD plan in Cumbria has become the first in the country to pass an independent examination.

RURAL economic indicators were largely unchanged during the third quarter of 2012 – although the rate of redundancies increased.

THE cost of living is higher for families in the countryside than it is for those in towns and cities, reveals a report.

FARMERS can use red diesel in their tractors to help grit and clear snow from public roads during extreme weather, the government has confirmed.

THE government says it is continuing to develop new guidelines requiring departments to consider the rural impact of their policies.

A LOCAL authority has agreed to keep the cost of new affordable housing at the same rate.

RURAL communities are set to benefit from a new injection of funding to help revive their villages through community enterprise.

A new toolkit aims to help improve understanding of the issues surrouning the commissioning and delivery of rural health services.

RURAL residents are calling on the government to abandon its planned rise in fuel duty.

HEALTH professionals and eminent academics convened in Nottingham for the birth of the new Rural Health Network.

Harnessing rural potential is crucial if a government drive is to maximise local economic growth, warns a report.

RURAL insurer NFU Mutual faces a bill of up to £20m following floods across the Midlands, south-west England and Wales.

Health professionals and eminent academics convene in Nottingham for a conference that sees the birth of a new Rural Health Network.

Pressure on public funding threatens to put rural communities at risk when it comes to fire and rescue services, warns a report.

PRESSURE on public funding threatens to put rural communities at risk when it comes to fire and rescue services, warns a report.

A NEW campaign has been launched to reduce the number of young driver deaths on rural roads.

BRUSSELS has agreed that the government can be granted state aid approval to roll out faster internet connections across the countryside.

RURAL businesses are calling for a planning system that is less costly and bureaucratic to encourage growth in the countryside.

RURAL residents spend 25% more on fuel for their daily commute to work, claim countryside campaigners.

THE government's housing agency is expected to meet targets to build more affordable homes.

RURAL businesses and communities are being urged to review security arrangements as darker nights draw in.

THE government has pledged to strike a balance between improving rural transport and protecting the countryside.

THE government should give a more robust commitment to rural communities, MPs have been told.

BRITAIN'S slowest broadband speeds continue to be found in market towns and rural areas, confirms a report.

RURAL areas have fewer police officers per head of population than urban areas, it has emerged.

LOCAL councils should avoid creating 'buffer zones' around villages to stop wind turbines blighting communities, says a report.

A film highlighting the challenges faced by older people in the countryside is to receive its TV debut.

A RURAL strategy highlighting goals for local communities has been launched in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

GOVERNMENT plans for town and village greens are a "kick in the teeth" for localism, claim campaigners.

WHAT support is available to help our much loved coastal places create jobs and prosperity? Jessica Sellick investigates.

A BAN on the import of ash trees to combat the threat of ash dieback could be too late to stop the disease spreading across the UK.

RURAL crime – from metal theft to livestock rustling – will top the agenda at a police conference.