Joint provision of local services in rural areas makes sense according to new research published by the Countryside Agency
Countryside Agency Archive

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One-Stop-Shops For Rural Services - 25 April 2001

Joint provision of local services in rural areas makes sense, for rural people and service providers alike, according to new research published today (Wednesday 25 April) by the Countryside Agency.

Joining the Deputy Prime Minister at the launch of a Countryside Agency demonstration project Pam Warhurst, the Countryside Agency's deputy chair, said: "People living in rural areas find it much more difficult to get to services they really need. People without their own means of transport can find it almost impossible.

"It would be unrealistic to expect all services to be available in every village in their own premises. This research shows that bringing services together under one roof, for example a shop with a post office or a pub, makes them more viable. Together the service providers and local people benefit from economies of scale, the co-operation arising from working together and the possibility of increasing incomedue to having other services on site. Customers also benefit from the added flexibility and convenience of being able to visit a range of services under one roof.

"Today's launch of the Waters Upton demonstration project is an exciting example of how different providers can provide a range of services jointly. Led by the parish council, the project involves building a centre to house a shop, post office, IT access centre, meeting room and community office. It will offer services including a library, a Citizens Advice Bureau, a solicitor's advice centre, prescription collection and delivery and a constituency surgery. This is a major project and will enable us to test the viability and learn lessons for elsewhere."

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Notes to editors

  • Services available from the Waters Upton centre will include: shop, post office, IT & IT training, adult education, police, Citizens Advice Bureau, solicitor's legal advice surgery, prescription collection and delivery, library, hairdressing, credit union, homework club, rural stress co-ordinator, chiropodist, constituency surgery, tax/benefits information and parish councillors' office and information point.
  • The Countryside Agency is responsible for advising government and taking action on issues relating to the social, economic and environmental well being of the English countryside. www.countryside.gov.uk  

INFORMATION FROM RESEARCH

The research is avaible from Countryside Agency Publications, PO Box 125, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7EP tel: 0870 120 6466

'Tandem Operations' involve the delivery of two or more distinct services through an outlet such as a shop, pub, garage or village hall, or a vehicle such as a mobile library or bus.

The joint provision of services report is based on 23 case studies of tandem operations in Nottinghamshire, Cumbria and Norfolk, and a census of all tandem operations in settlements of less than 5,000 in Nottinghamshire, Cumbria, Norfolk Cornwall and Kent.

The report found that:

  • joint service centres tended to be relatively stable - since 1997 the only dramatic change had been the loss of three post office operations from the various case studies;
  • the quality of the people providing the service delivery is crucial to their success;
  • the characteristics of premises influence the delivery and retention of quality services;
  • 'tandem operations' are affected by and can affect the changing circumstances of the surrounding area;
  • developments in Information and Communications Technology has an affect on all 'tandem operations'.  

Almost half of the operations identified in the census were village halls or community resources centres of some kind, while religious buildings, schools, pubs and a variety of vehicles act as hosts to a mass of services. Part time service provision outnumbers full-time provision by about 4 to 1.

There is a generally favourable picture of 'tandem operations' - with economies of scale, customer benefits and flexibility in the face of change being the major benefits.

Alongside the joint provision of services report, a report on the costs of providing joint services shows that:

  • it is often financially advantageous for a service provider to let another provider use spare resources;
  • joint provision allows for services to be provided at a more local level than would otherwise be financially possible;
  • their is often a more efficient use of resources in tandem operations;
  • capital costs are often less of an issue for long term viability of tandem operations.