Inspire - as it happens

INSPIRE 17

THE BUDGET
Action with Communities in Rural England(ACRE) has produced a concise briefing on the key issues of the budget with specific emphasis on issues that affect rural areas. It can be found here.

RURAL EMPLOYMENT
The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) has published a guide on helping people into employment in rural areas. This is part of a series of guides aimed at local authorities and their partners. It can be found here.

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ON RURAL BROADBAND

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has made a significant announcement about the future of rural broadband. Mr Hunt has confirmed plans for market testing products to bring superfast broadband to rural areas. Although he gives no definition of superfast it can be assumed that it is better that the old target of 2 megabits per second – a speed which he describes as paltry. Full details can be found here.

 Mr Hunt said: “Wherever I go in the country, businesses tell me that access to fast, reliable broadband is increasingly essential.  Superfast broadband is not simply about doing the same things faster, it’s about doing totally new things.  And it isn’t only about business – it’s about opening up new opportunities to improve  public services such as education and healthcare. 

INVESTMANT PROGRAMME DELIVERS RESULTS
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) provides funding to The Rural Community Action Network (RCAN) to deliver the government’s objectives in supporting the needs of rural communities. An interim evaluation of the effectiveness of the programme has been undertaken by capacitybuilders. An executive summary can be found here. The full report is here.

A Defra spokesman said investment in the network was bearing fruit in terms of improving RCAN members’ capacity to achieve their objectives.

 “Rural community councils and [their] regional bodies play a valuable role in promoting the needs and interests of rural communities.”

FUEL POVERTY
Further to our report in INSPIRE 14 the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) and Durham County Council have now published a new guide explaining how local authorities can tackle fuel poverty and improve the health of rural residents. A full copy can be downloaded here

Commission executive director Graham Russell said:

“The scale of rural fuel poverty presents a significant challenge to local councils. More than 21% of households in villages, isolated dwellings and hamlets are living in fuel poverty, compared to just 12% of households in urban areas. Limited resources should be targeted to those in most need.”