What’s the real cost of borrowing on credit in rural areas?
From buying a home, to replacing an appliance, or meeting an unexpected emergency, many households rely on some form of credit. But over the past four decades the UK has seen a rapid increase in consumer debt. This is now coupled with the impact of COVID-19 – with some people losing their job and others […]
Are more people looking to escape to the countryside?
Living through lockdown has left many of us rethinking our homes, and where we live, in ways we may never have imagined. When your entire life takes place within the confine of the walls of your home, how much space you have and what that space looks like takes on new meaning. During lockdown some […]
Where do rural areas fit in the ‘levelling up’ agenda?
The UK is sometimes viewed as having one of the most geographically unequal economies in the world – where London and the South East are seen as some of the most productive and prosperous places in Europe with other regions and places lag far behind. ‘Levelling up’ is a term being used by Government to […]
Local Authority investments in commercial property – are they cash generators or debt burdens?
Since the mid-2010s some Local Authorities have been building up portfolios of commercial property – from hotels and farms to shopping malls and leisure complexes – putting the profits that are generated into their revenue budgets. With Government now consulting on the lending terms of the Public Works Loan Board – a lending facility used […]
Kindness is all around us – but what part should it play in policy making?
Kindness is a word we use in many forms – “X is such a kind person” or “Y is not very kind.” If we are kind, our lives and the lives of others are seen to change for the better. While kindness has a part to play in our everyday lives, when we think about […]
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