Recent Budget announcements have left many in rural areas feeling overlooked.
While certain measures – such as freezing fuel duties – offer some relief, the stark increase in bus fares has placed a disproportionate burden on those in remote communities, where public transport is often the only link to employment and services.
Moreover, while steps to retain Right to Buy receipts within councils and increase stamp duty on second homes are commendable, they barely scratch the surface of what is needed to ensure a sustainable influx of affordable housing in rural areas.
However, these challenges, though significant, present a crucial opportunity.
Through the Rural Services Network (RSN), we are not merely highlighting discrepancies, but actively pursuing a shift in policy that considers the unique circumstances of rural communities.
The establishment of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Rural Services is testament to our commitment. It enables direct dialogue with rural MPs, ensuring they are fully informed of the implications of their decisions for rural constituents.
Our recent ministerial discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have shown a promising willingness to consider our recommendations for tailored, rural-specific solutions.
Measures such as addressing skill shortages and improving housing affordability for local workers are vital for unleashing the potential of the rural economy, which could bolster national prosperity significantly.
Meanwhile, the fiscal outlook remains a challenge, and the need for equitable distribution of resources cannot be overstated. A coalition of 57 local authorities recently joined the RSN in a unified call for equitable funding for rural areas in the forthcoming provisional local government finance settlement, amplifying our demand for a funding formula that truly reflects the needs of our communities.
November’s ministerial announcement on local government funding reforms clearly sets the scene, removing the Rural Services Delivery Grant and targeting money towards areas with greater need and demand for services, using deprivation as a proxy.
Deprivation is not a proxy for all service demands, however: our ageing rural population creates additional demands that will not be recognised through deprivation indicators, but must still be serviced.
Rural areas, often misconceived as uniformly affluent, face hidden deprivations and elevated costs in delivering basic services.
This should not be a policy debate that pits the stereotyped ‘poor urban areas’ against ‘rich rural communities’. Instead, it should recognise that we need a system that supports all of those in need, whether in villages or town centres, and that fairly compensates local authorities for the costs they face in delivering those services.
The RSN’s Delivering for Rural campaign is an integral part of this effort, addressing long-standing inequities that have resulted in rural areas receiving significantly less government support per capita compared with urban areas, despite higher local tax burdens and generally lower earnings.
The goal is clear: to ensure that rural communities not only survive, but thrive, contributing fully to the nation’s economic and social fabric.
This is a pivotal moment for government policy. By re-evaluating the metrics used to allocate funding, and by implementing a genuinely inclusive approach to national prosperity, we can ensure that all corners of our nation are equipped to prosper.
- The Rural Services Network is an LGA special interest group.