Autonomous driving is here, but what does it mean for rural communities?
The average driver in England spends 235 hours driving every year – equivalent to six working weeks – and must concentrate on driving 100% of the time. Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) are changing this, enabling the driver to choose whether they want to be in control or handover the task of driving to the […]
What’s [rural] in the Industrial Strategy?
In her leadership speech Theresa May set out her aspirations “to get the whole economy firing”. One of her first actions as Prime Minister was to begin the development of an Industrial Strategy. In November 2017 the Government published this much awaited document. Heralded as a new approach to how Government and business can work […]
How can we stop a rural debt spiral?
On 8 November 2017 the Treasury Committee announced a new inquiry into household finances. The Committee will look at the state of UK household balance sheets (including savings levels) and examine indebtedness, inter-generational issues, lifetime financial planning and the effectiveness of the market in providing finance and solutions to low income households. The inquiry comes […]
Policing in the countryside – what more can be done to stop rural crime?
The Metropolitan Police Act 1829 established the Metropolitan Police of London (with the exception of the City), replacing the previous system of parish constables and watchmen. The County and Borough Police Act in 1856 led policing to become a requirement throughout England and Wales, paid for by central Government funds distributed to local government. By […]
Being homeless in the countryside – an invisible issue?
Having nowhere stable to live (a home) can affect a person’s ability to live, work, enjoy and get on in life. Finding yourself with very little money, where every day is a struggle, can be seen as something that happens to someone else. Yet in 2015/2016 some 6,270 households were homeless in rural Local Authorities, […]
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