The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has backed calls from the Rural Services Network (RSN) for the government to develop a rural strategy.
The RSN – which brings together a range of local and national bodies to champion rural services and ensure people in rural areas have a strong voice – is calling on the government to take the lead and work with interested organisations to produce a comprehensive long term and funded rural strategy.
As part of this, a Template Rural Strategy has been developed, setting out the rationale for calling for a rural strategy and highlighting the component parts which the RSN believes should be part of any rural strategy. This includes: a thriving rural economy; a digitally connected countryside; a place everyone can get around; an affordable place to live; a fair deal on health and social care; a place to learn and grow; a settlement (including fair funding for rural services) to support local action; and a rural-proofed policy framework.
NALC is also asking local councils to join the call for a rural strategy by signing up here.
Jonathan Owen, chief executive of NALC, said “It is important that rural areas and communities are not forgotten by the government. I would urge all of England’s 10,000 local councils to show their support by signing up to the call for a rural strategy today.”