Is the rural ‘Big Society’ delivering?

Back in 2010, the Prime Minister launched the ‘Big Society’, heralding a culture change where people in their everyday lives would no longer always turn to Local Authorities or central Government for answers to the problems they faced, instead helping themselves and their own communities. With the future of many rural services – shops, post […]

A growing digital divide?

The internet is now an essential part of our everyday lives, with connectivity providing opportunities to reduce some of the issues facing rural communities. The demand for broadband services in rural areas often outstrips many urban places. Yet the task of connecting residents and businesses remains much greater in rural areas due to lower population […]

Making rural places to live and work

What makes a community sustainable? It is a question that sits at the heart of government policy and practitioner debates – the responses of which have very real consequences for rural residents and places. Jessica Sellick investigates. The notion of sustainable communities leaves much for decision makers and communities to think about. But ‘what makes […]

Making rural funding work better

‘Leader’ aims to provide an “integrated bottom up, community-led delivery of RDPE funding”. In England it is implemented by Local Action Groups (LAGs) and is targeted on rural areas with particular needs or priorities. In existence since 1991, and with negotiations around the 2014-2020 programme now intensifying, is Leader boosting the rural economy or is […]

Perspectives on the Localism Act

For some it was seen as a Government response to rural parishes and shire counties opposing urban sprawl and top-down housing targets. For others it’s opened up new initiatives and experimentation such as neighbourhood planning. Nineteen months on; what’s happened and where next for Localism? Jessica Sellick investigates. In The Planners, a recent BBC documentary series, […]

«< 25 26 27 28 29 »

Sign Up

Jessica Sellick

Archives