Rural Related Politics - An RSN weekly review

Tuesday 4 March 2025

Westminster Hall Debate, The cultural heritage of market towns, Mr Bayo Alaba MP, Southend East and Rochford

The RSN team will be reviewing transcripts of each of the above and sharing with readers any relevant comments.

Insights From Last week:

SEND Education Support

A debate, led by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (MP for Suffolk Coastal), highlighted the escalating crisis in SEND education support, with specific emphasis on the challenges faced in rural constituencies like hers. The MP called for SEND reform to be a national priority and stressed the need for sustainable funding to cope with the growing demands of the system.

Leigh Ingham (MP for Stafford) raised concerns about the financial burdens schools face in self-funding assessments due to inadequate government support, stressing the need for collaborative efforts between health and educational departments to relieve financial pressures.

Rural areas, according to Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, have distinct challenges in SEND provision, including limited access to specialized resources and schools, which impacts the effectiveness of educational support. The inadequacy of local authority responses, highlighted by Suffolk's failure to deliver timely care plans, was noted as worsening the crisis, affecting children's educational and mental health outcomes.

The government's response, as discussed in the debate, acknowledged the severity of the issue but pointed to existing measures intended to address these challenges, including funding allocations and policy reforms aimed at improving SEND support across the country.

Read the full debate transcript HERE.

Provision of Affordable Rural Housing

The debate was initiated by Olivia Bailey (MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire), focusing on the severe lack of affordable housing in rural areas, which is threatening the sustainability of rural communities. Highlighted issues included the skyrocketing house prices and the scarcity of rental properties in rural villages, which force local families and young people to move away, affecting local economies and community life.

Jim Shannon (MP for Strangford) supported the need for legislative measures to enable residents born in rural areas to afford local housing. Caroline Voaden (MP for South Devon) highlighted successful local initiatives that involved community housing projects providing socially rented homes.

Rachel Taylor (MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth) discussed how rising rental costs prevent young people from living in their local rural areas, which hampers local economic growth. Lizzi Collinge (MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale) raised concerns about the impact of short-term lets like Airbnbs, which exacerbate housing shortages.

Helena Dollimore (MP for Hastings and Rye) and John Whitby (MP for Derbyshire Dales) emphasised the negative impacts of holiday lets and second homes on local housing availability and affordability.

The Minister for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook, responded, acknowledging the housing crisis and the government’s commitment to rural housing through funding and strategic planning reforms. He discussed the importance of rural exception sites, which provide affordable homes to locals, and the need for further governmental measures to ensure sustainable development in rural areas.

This debate highlights the urgent need for targeted solutions to ensure the availability of affordable housing in rural communities, supporting both the current and future generations residing there.

Read the full debate transcript HERE.

Local Government Finance Settlement

In a parliamentary session held this week, the focus shifted to the implications of the new local government finance settlement for 2025-26. Harriet Cross, MP for Gordon and Buchan, raised significant concerns about the methodology changes in the finance settlement, which she argued might disproportionately shift funding from rural and coastal communities to urban centres. She highlighted the Rural Services Network's worries about these changes, stating:

"The provisional local government finance settlement for 2025-26 introduces changes to the previous methodology for the then levelling-up funding for categorising areas of priority need. The Rural Services Network has highlighted concerns and disparities that shift funding away from rural and coastal communities to urban areas."

The session highlighted the importance of equitable funding allocation across different types of communities and the need for a funding model that allows more flexibility and strong local leadership to address specific regional challenges. This discussion reflects ongoing efforts to ensure that funding strategies are inclusive and considerate of the diverse needs of all communities across the nation.

Read the full session transcript HERE.