Speaking at the Countryside Future Conference yesterday, Environment Secretary and local MP, Therese Coffey launched the government’s new drive to support rural communities.
The “Unleashing Rural Opportunity” publication outlines a range of steps the government is taking to boost rural communities on housing, transport, digital connectivity and jobs – including a new £7m fund to test out new ways to bring lightening fast connectivity to rural areas.
Therese said:
“The countryside makes up over 90% of the UK’s land mass, it is home to millions of people, and contributes over £250 billion to our economy in England alone. Rural areas such as here in Suffolk are rich in human and natural potential with strong communities and entrepreneurial businesses.”
“The government is committed to making sure that the needs of people and businesses in rural areas are at the heart of policymaking – and we want to go further in unleashing that potential and support to by building the sustainable future they want to see. Unleashing Rural Opportunity sets out what we have already delivered for rural communities and new initiatives to build on that record.”
Therese added: “The Publication also commits to publishing a detailed Dental Plan which will set out further reform to improve access to NHS Dentistry, including in rural areas which find it particularly hard to recruit and retain dentists, crucial for our part of Suffolk.”
The plan also commits to:
- Consult on further steps to help remote communities get online by encouraging the provision of fixed wireless access and satellite services.
- Improve local transport networks through a Future of Transport Rural Strategy, which will set out plans to improve access to services, tackle isolation and increase access to jobs in rural and remote areas. The Government will also consult on reforming grant funding for bus operators to help them keep fares low and service levels high, helping to protect vital rural routes.
- Help more communities access funding for village halls, by extending the scope of the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund from Autumn 2023 by lowering the minimum grant threshold to £2,000
- Publish a new public libraries strategy for England in 2024, recognising the role as they play in many rural areas as hubs for local services and digital connectivity.
- Review how deprivation in rural areas is measured so that it is better understood and taken into account in decision making – ensuring the interests of rural communities are better represented.
- Legislate by the summer to increase fly-tipping and litter penalties and consult key stakeholders on ringfencing the use of these fines to fund further action on fly-tipping.
- Additional funding for the NPCC’s new national rural crime unit, to help cut crime and keep communities safe, by tackling anti-social behaviour, equipment theft and a new funded role to tackle fly-tipping.
- Continue to make great progress in improving broadband and mobile coverage in rural areas by delivering the £5 billion Project Gigabit across the UK at pace, including plans to procure all regional contracts in England by the end of 2024.
- Support electricity infrastructure in rural areas, making sure it keeps up with the changing needs of consumers for example, to support the electrification of heating and EV charging by publishing further plans to accelerate electricity network connections.
- Consult shortly on a new fund to help smaller abattoirs to improve productivity and enhance animal welfare, aiming to open a fund for applications later this year.
- Consult on planning changes to make agricultural development more flexible for farmers so they can amend their existing agricultural buildings to make them more productive more easily.
You can read the full publication here.
