Communities in England will be able to hold the Government to account on its promise to boost rural economies.
Published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the first Rural Statement formalises the Government’s pledge to support rural businesses promote economic recovery in outlying areas.
Super-fast broadband delivery, rural business grants and Rural Growth Networks were cited as crucial to the creation of jobs and economic growth in countryside areas.
The Government has pledged to directly engage with rural communities and promote fair access to public services, working to ensure that rural businesses make a sustainable contribution to national growth.
Unveiling the contract, environment secretary Owen Paterson said: ‘Rural economic growth is vital for this country. The Government’s role is to ensure that rural areas have all the infrastructure they need to grow. Businesses should then be free from the unnecessary Government red tape that has got in the way of rural economic growth in the past.’
The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) welcomed the commitments made in the Rural Statement but asserted that such promises had to be effectively translated into action.
TCPA chief executive, Kate Henderson, said: ‘At a time when England faces huge demographic, economic and environmental challenges, the real test will be in the delivery of action on the ground to secure the long term well being of our rural villages and towns.’
Cllr Ken Hudson, chair of the rural commission at the Local Government Association (LGA), said: ‘Each community faces different barriers and priorities and it is essential that the Government follows through with its promise to free up unnecessary central control and give local authorities the flexibility they need to act in the interests of their local population. Councils are best placed to make decisions based on their individual set of circumstances and the LGA will be working closely with the Government to suggest how their current and new policies could be shaped to better meet rural needs.’
