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Barriers to Access
An award-winning bus service is helping rural residents access healthcare, training and employment and leisure services. Tailored to the needs of its passengers, the Bwcabus service serves rural Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It can be pre-booked allowing people...
Ofcom has announced measures it says will promote investment in new fibre broadband networks. The telecoms watchdog says it wants to protect broadband customers and promote competition, by cutting the wholesale price that Openreach can charge telecoms companies for...
The Buses Bill must deliver for rural communities, says Claire Walters. Set for royal assent in May this year, the Buses Bill is being widely heralded as an opportunity to improve bus services for the benefit of all passengers....
Rural businesses are twice as likely to have inadequate internet connections as those in cities, says a study. Companies say they lack reliable broadband connections, despite ranking fully functional broadband as extremely important to their operation. Study findings...
Representatives from England's 10,000 parish and town aim to raise their profile by marching on parliament. The third ever 'Lobby Day' by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) will see local councillors meet with parliamentarians at Westminster. Community...
GRANTS of up to £5000 are on offer to communities who want to set up their own rural transport scheme in Dorset. The Community Transport Grant will fund costs associated with starting up and operating a scheme. Funding...
Bus services have been hit hard by funding cuts with over 500 routes completely withdrawn or reduced in 2016/17. Nearly £30m has been cut from local authority supported bus funding in the last financial year, according the Campaign for Better...
ONE of England's biggest rural counties says 90% of premises will have access to superfast broadband by this summer. North Yorkshire County Council says it is pressing ahead with its commitment to bringing faster broadband to communities across the...
Further action is neeeded to ensure that the government's Housing White Paper delivers for rural areas, an expert has warned. Jo Lavis, of Rural Housing Solutions, says the general thrust of the paper offers some potentially helpful mechanisms to...
VITAL local services face further cuts – despite forthcoming rises in council tax. Council tax rises in 2017/18 will not bring in enough money to prevent further deep cuts to local services, said the Local Government Association. LGA...
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HOT TOPICS
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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