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The Daily Mail’s This is Money website reports that BT has vetoed efforts to improve mobile coverage in rural areas because its rivals would benefit more from the arrangement. EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three were discussing ways to share...
97% of councils plan to increase rates this year, but it won’t be enough reports lovemoney.com Households will soon see their Council Tax bills rise. Despite this, half of all councils plan to cut back on services and say...
The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that councils in England are facing an £8 billion funding gap by 2025. Metro reported that, according to the LGA, by 2020 councils will have lost 60p out of every £1 that...
RSN response to Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement The Rural Services Network has long campaigned for fairer funding for rural areas and it today welcomed the additional £16million allocation to the Rural Services Delivery Grant by the Government in the...
Local Government Secretary James Brokenshire announced last week the Government’s proposed 2.8 per cent funding increase for local authorities, as reported by PublicFinance.co.uk. This is, however, dependent on local authorities raising council tax to the highest amount possible and...
New analysis from Which? suggests that nearly two thirds of the UK’s bank branches have closed over the past 30 years, the Mirror reports. Parliamentary records show that in 1988 there were 20,583 bank and building society branches across...
A report recently published by the County All-Party-Parliamentary Group (APPG) and County Councils Network (CCN), Social Mobility in Counties, has found that current council funding models contribute to maintaining a cycle of low social mobility, Open Access Government reports. ...
The Times highlighted concerns that free cash machines could disappear within the next decade, following figures showing that 250 machines per month are closing as consumers opt for cashless payment options. There are currently 53,000 free-to-use cash machines in...
A new opportunity is available for those with good ideas for rural communities to be awarded research travel grants. Applicants with new ideas on how to improve rural life in the UK can now be supported by overseas research...
Northamptonshire County Council is to hold further meetings after outlining a drastic £70m plan to reduce services. Last month the council issued its section 114 notice barring non-statutory spend and warning that the authority will need to find up...
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Amid reduced public spending, fair resource allocation across regions is crucial. Despite a population larger than Greater London, rural areas receive significantly less funding for essential services, even though delivering these services in rural areas is more expensive.
Economic growth is widely acknowledged as essential for national wealth and prosperity and is a priority for political parties. Rural economies, employing millions and home to a higher proportion of small businesses, have potential for growth if barriers are removed.
Rural residents face distinct healthcare challenges, including limited access to transport, longer distances to medical facilities, an aging demographic, housing inadequacies, digital connectivity gaps, and difficulties recruiting health and care workers.
Rural communities are grappling with a severe affordable housing crisis, marked by high house prices, a lack of affordable housing, elevated living costs, and lower incomes, threatening their sustainability and vitality.
Transport is vital for the quality of life and economic health of rural areas, yet it faces challenges such as infrequent public bus services and less Government funding compared to urban regions.
Rural areas, encompassing a substantial portion of England's population and land, play a pivotal role in combating climate change and achieving the net zero target.
In an increasingly digital world, the lack of robust digital infrastructure in rural areas severely limits access to crucial services and stifles economic growth.
A future-focused vision for rural communities involves not just building the right homes in the right places but also ensuring thriving, sustainable communities.
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