Natural England

Improving access to UK online centres is giving more people in rural areas the chance to develop their IT skills, obtain useful information and take advantage of further education and training, opportunities many rural people lack, according to a new report  Connecting the Countryside – an evaluation of Capital Modernisation Funded* UK online centres in rural areas  by the Countryside Agency and the Department for Education and Skills.       more

A new guide for organisations and communities on setting up centres to deliver a range of services to the local community has been published by the Countryside Agency. more

Rural communities need more support and encouragement to provide for their own needs and their level of access to help and expertise must be improved if we are to build a sustainable countryside for future generations, according to the Countryside Agency’s chief executive, Richard Wakeford, announcing research findings today.  more

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made clear today that the Countryside Agency will play a vital future role in advising government and monitoring the effectiveness of rural delivery. more

There is no doubt that the South Downs meet the statutory criteria for designation as a National Park, the Countryside Agency told the public inquiry into the designation which opened in Worthing today.  more

The South Downs should be designated a National Park, the Countryside Agency will tell the public inquiry into the South Downs National Park next week (Monday 10 November).  more

“Step-O-Meters on loan” – coming soon to a surgery near you!!A nationwide initiative to get the public walking is stepping up a gear with the launch of a new campaign to enable GPs to loan Step-O-Meters “on prescription”. more

Rural Affairs Minister launches good practice guide more

Suitable, sustainable development for the countryside more

Affordable housing is the backbone of rural communities, get it right and it can support the social, economic and environmental needs of villages and market towns.    more

Britain’s longest National Trail, the 630-mile South West Coast Path (SWCP), has proved to be a major money-spinner for the region. more

New research released today (Thursday 25 September) indicates that the 630-mile South West Coast Path (SWCP) generates around £300 million a year for the region’s economy – enough to support more than 7,500 jobs.     more

Children fleeing domestic violence in rural areas are missing out when it comes to local services according to a new report published today (8 September 2003) by the Countryside Agency and Save the Children. more

More than half a million prospective rural broadband subscribers could be losing out because of the lack of available coverage. With around one million enterprises, and proportionately more self-employed people in rural areas, the lack of broadband will increasingly damage their ability to compete, says Richard Wakeford, chief executive of the Countryside Agency. more

Nine places in England have been selected to demonstrate how market towns can become the new centres of employment, housing and services for their residents and the surrounding rural areas.   The Countryside Agency has today announced the first towns in its new Beacon Towns Initiative, which will examine the particular challenges facing market towns and demonstrate ways to overcome them.   The nine beacon towns are: Hexham/Haltwhistle (Northumberland), Barnard Castle with Middleton-in-Teesdale (Durham), Whitby, Richmond (North Yorkshire), Belper (Derbyshire), Wolverton (Milton Keynes), Faringdon (Oxfordshire) and Bridport (Dorset). more

A mixed picture of access to public services available to people who live in rural areas is reported today (14 July) in the Countryside Agency’s second annual report on progress with the Rural Services Standard*.    Set out in the 2000 Rural White Paper, Our Countryside, The Future, it aims to give people who live in the countryside more choice about how they can access the services they need and a better understanding of the service levels they can expect. more

Country parks, a lasting and popular legacy of the Countryside Act 1968, are more important to society today than ever before but they are at risk of neglect and decline and action is needed now to ensure they have a better future, according to the Countryside Agency. more

Women play an important role in rural economies but the challenges they face mean their full potential is missed. more

Support mechanisms in rural areas do not go far enough, according to Sir Ewen Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency. The countryside is a hive of economic activity that belies its popular chocolate box image, yet a major part of this activity misses out as support is all directed towards agriculture, land management and tourism, he said. more

We must not let our children become alienated from the countryside, otherwise they will be deprived of healthy activity in open spaces, have no understanding of farming and local production, and no access to their heritage, according to the Countryside Agency.  more

The Prince of Wales to launch a major initiative to encourage landowners and businesses to use their land, property and resources to provide more affordable housing in rural areas. more

Speaking after the public release of the seven principles that Lord Haskins will use to inform his final recommendations on his review of rural delivery arrangements in England, Sir Ewen Cameron, Chairman of the Countryside Agency and the Rural Advocate said: more

Rural communities at opposite ends of England are benefiting from new IT and internet facilities as their local pubs get wired up. more

Countryside Agency opens new national trail – media call   10am, Friday 23 May - Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne. more

As a nation, we care deeply about our countryside, according to the Countryside Agency’s fifth annual State of the Countryside report published today (Wednesday 7 May).    It reveals that more than 90% of people, both rural and urban, care so much that they want to ‘keep the countryside the way it is now’.    But what the report also shows is that, despite that wish, the English countryside continues to change – and on the high tech front there is a widening divide between town and country.  more

Who will live in the countryside in 2020 ?    How will rural people earn their living ? What will the quality of life in the countryside be ?   -   just some of the questions being debated at a seminar in London today (2 April) on the main drivers of change that will shape the future of the countryside. more

Three Rural Revival projects in Yorkshire, Cumbria and Cornwall are the focus of a Seminar hosted by The Prince of Wales at Highgrove House. more

More councils should be developing Greenways as part of their solution to local transport problems, according to the Countryside Agency. more

Over five million people work in rural districts. more

Huge power to make life better for people in rural communities lies with the first tier of local government - parish and town councils, according to the Countryside Agency. more

Companies who make a positive contribution to rural areas have just a few more days left to enter the Rural Action Award for a chance to have their achievements recognised.   The award is sponsored by Post Office Ltd, in association with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Countryside Agency, as part of the Business in the Community’s annual Awards for Excellence.   The deadline for entries is 21 March 2003. more

Today's commitment to increase the supply of affordable housing in rural areas in the government's communities plan, announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, is welcome according to the Countryside Agency, the Government's statutory adviser. more

Significant damage to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has been averted. more

Nearly twice as many people are finding out how and where their food is produced compared to a year ago. more

Now is the time to make major and long-term improvements to the urban-rural fringe. more