Rural Services Network - Rural Services Network

LOCAL authorities have less than three months to submit draft plans for rolling-out superfast broadband.

POLICE forces are launching innovative approaches to tackling rural crime in the run-up to Christmas.

LOCAL authorities can help ensure customers don't lose out when their post office closes, says a study.

A JOINT petition by councils calling for fairer concessionary travel funding has seen a rise of 4,000 signatures in just three weeks.

The government's £20m Rural Community Broadband Fund (RCBF) has opened for expressions of interest.

RURAL areas risk being left behind by faster broadband speeds in cities and larger towns, business leaders have warned.

MPs have called for government action against rising fuel prices following a petition signed by 110,000 people.

REDUCTIONS in local government budgets will leave many rural residents disadvantaged, says a report.

BROADBAND speeds slow by one third at peak times, with the biggest variation in rural areas.

TRANSPORT minister Norman Baker has denied passing back the buck on rural bus services to local authorities.

AN umbrella organisation of 15 rural-interest groups has called on for a fairer distribution of funding from central government.

RURAL communities hampered by the digital divide are being offered a lifeline by a phone company piloting ground-breaking mobile technology.

DOWNTON Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville is supporting a campaign highlighting the lack of decent internet access in the countryside.

RURAL community transport schemes can fill gaps left by the withdrawal of commercial bus services, the government has said.

Cold damp homes are bad for your health – that's the message from the Warm Front Scheme manager, Carillon Energy Services.

THE government is asking people for their views on priorities for improving care and support services.

A NURSERY school has more than doubled its childcare places after receiving a £47,000 rural grant.

VILLAGE halls run by volunteers play a vital role in rural communities, say experts.

Government cuts are having a marked impact on rural public transport, an MP has warned.

RURAL stakeholders are urged to respond to a government consultation on the future of the Post Office.

THE government has unveiled £150m to improve mobile phone coverage in rural areas.

COUNCILLORS have launched a campaign to persuade the government to fairly fund concessionary bus fares for rural passengers.

Budget cuts mean a new approach is vital to maintain rural public services, the government has been warned.

RURAL communities could still miss out on faster internet connections – despite a boost in funding.

HEALTH experts hope to raise awareness of the challenges involved in delivering services to dispersed rural communities.

A MOBILE phone operator is giving away 3G broadband to rural areas struggling with slow landline connections.

SUFFOLK has become the latest rural county to review its mobile library services.

COUNTRYSIDE communities receive a lower government grant and pay more council tax for fewer services, says a report.

WIDENING financial services at post offices would benefit rural customers hit by bank branch closures, says a report.

THREE organisations have been shortlisted to help bring super-fast broadband to Cumbria.

THE Rural Services Network is looking for innovative ways of saving rural bus routes from the axe.

THE government is making available £363m to bring faster broadband to the countryside.

VILLAGE halls and shops can play a vital role in delivering a library service fit for the 21st century, council leaders have said.

OLDER mobile phones are better for making calls in rural areas than the latest smartphones, suggests a study.

CUTS to rural bus services are damaging countryside communities, MPs have warned.

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE is the latest county to introduce an innovative bus service for rural communities.

RURAL stakeholders are being invited to participate in a survey of the way public services are delivered in the countryside.

A £10m fund is being made available to help charities and social enterprises deliver public services.

ONE of England's most rural police forces faces a big challenge to meet government austerity measures.

AN MP has called for an urgent meeting over slow response times by ambulances in rural areas.

RURAL communities and businesses could benefit from cheaper broadband by the end of the year.

INNOVATIVE rural health and wellbeing initiatives are to be highlighted by a major conference.

AN interactive map highlights the slower broadband speeds suffered by countryside communities.

DAVID Cameron has outlined government plans to reform and modernise Britain's public services.

The Commission for Rural Communities is looking to identify key stakeholders for a project on social isolation.

RURAL residents in Norfolk are among those who have to travel farthest to reach local services, reveals a study.

RURAL filling stations face being driven out of business by bigger retailers using fuel as a loss leader, it is claimed.

MORE than £16m has been secured to bring high-speed internet access to businesses and communities across North Yorkshire.

HIGH fuel prices mean rural motorists face an increasingly tough battle to keep their vehicles on the road.

DAVID Cameron has called for the construction of more rural housing to sustain local services.