Future government 'must improve prospects and opportunities for rural communities and firms'

The Rural Coalition, an alliance of 13 national organisations who champion a living, working countryside, has set out an urgent appeal for all political parties to empower rural areas in election manifestos to improve the prospects and opportunities for rural businesses and communities.

And the Shropshire-based policy advisor for one of the organisations, says he knows how important the issues are to the county.

With rural areas a key battleground at the next general election,the coalition is urging politicians to address the needs and potential of rural areas and ensure they are treated fairly with the rest of the country.

The roadmap, ‘A better future for rural England: An opportunity for change’, sets out nine policy principles to address the structural inequalities and weaknesses facing rural areas and the people who live and work in rural England.

Chair Margaret Clark said: "Ask people what makes England such a special place and many of them will cite the countryside, with its patchwork of landscapes and rural settlements.

"However, rural areas have long faced the challenges of failing infrastructure, poor connectivity and unfair funding systems that do not take proper account of the additional rural costs associated with delivering essential services, including healthcare."

"That is why the Rural Coalition is calling on the next government to implement the coalition’s vision for rural England."

Graham Biggs MBE, rural policy advisor to the Rural Services Network, a member of the coalition, said: "As a resident of Shropshire, I know how important the issues raised by the Rural Coalition are to the future of Shropshire and all other rural areas across England.

"I would encourage everyone associated with any political party to press their party to include commitments to support rural areas in their manifestos for the next general election. As individuals, we can all seek assurances from those who look to secure our votes that they will work to support our rural communities and businesses."

The coalition is calling on the future government to:

• Produce a comprehensive rural strategy - create a cross-departmental strategy for rural England to deliver sustainable growth for communities and businesses.

• Ensure fairer funding - revise funding metrics used to allocate funds for public services to address the systemic gap between urban and rural public funding.

• Invest in rural infrastructure - upgrade capacity and resilience of the electricity grid; invest in reliable digital networks and create fit-for-purpose rural transport networks.

• Adapt and mitigate for climate change – launch a coordinated approach from government and agencies to address the challenges posed by climate change.

• Create a prosperous rural economy - invest in skills and retraining to increase economic diversity and attract new businesses.

• Rural-proof the design of services – develop service plans that avoid a one-size-fits-all approach and ensure accessibility for rural communities and businesses.

• Deliver services locally – deliver services at as local a level as possible to ensure they meet local needs and are readily available to the community.

• Empower the voluntary and community sector – enhance support and funding for the voluntary and community sector to help deliver vital facilities and services.

• Devolve decision-making powers – devolve decision-making and responsibilities to the most local level, so services are tailored to rural needs.