Natural England

Think rural when making decisions - 19 May 2004

Meeting the needs of rural people and thinking through what could potentially affect those who work and live in the countryside is vital for local authorities and is already prominent in a number of areas, a survey has revealed today. The report from the Local Government Association and Countryside Agency shows the benefits that this practice brings and highlights how ‘rural proofing’ now needs to be embedded more widely in local authority planning and delivery.

Think Rural – a survey of rural proofing in local authorities found that most English local authorities surveyed felt rural proofing could be valuable in helping them deliver good quality, accessible services that meet the needs of rural people. The report encourages councils, and partners within Local Strategic Partnerships, to take rural issues into account in all policy development, scrutiny processes and service delivery. It also details some of the lessons already learnt around how to do this effectively.

Findings included:

·        83% of respondents felt that rural proofing could be useful;

·        59% of local authorities considered rural issues in relation to the Comprehensive Performance Assessment process and 54% in relation to Best Value;

·        57% of those areas surveyed have a rural partnership and there are many encouraging examples of partnership working between district and county councils;

·        98% of councils surveyed are involved in a Local Strategic Partnership with 32% already using the LSP rural proofing checklist; 

·        local authorities ranked the biggest issues for rural communities as transport and housing by a considerable margin, followed by the environment, community safety and the provision of services for young people. No service scored less than 72% when considering which services would benefit from rural proofing, clearly showing that it is considered valuable across the board.

mf

Councillor Paul Bettison, chairman of the LGA’s Rural Commission said: “The results of this survey clearly show that local authorities are developing ways of thinking rural to ensure their policies and programmes benefit rural areas and we need to build on that. We also need a clear strategy to promote the issues to a range of organisations such as the police and primary care trusts as well as government inspectorates.

“Local authorities have a key role in supporting thriving, vibrant and empowered rural communities which includes accessibility to and delivery of services. People living in rural areas have a right to good quality services.”

Pam Warhurst, chair of the Countryside Agency said: “We have been working hard over the past few years to help get rural proofing embedded in policy making in government nationally. But if the benefits of this ‘think rural’ approach are to be felt as widely as possible, it is also important that it happens at local government level.

“We’re really encouraged to see that local authorities agree that rural proofing has an important role to play. But it’s now time that this is put into practice more generally by all authorities who have rural communities, even if their area is predominantly urban. We will continue to provide authorities with the practical tools and lessons they need to build rural proofing into policy development and delivery to the benefit of all English rural communities.” 

Copies of Think Rural are available to members of the media from the LGA press office.

- Ends -

Notes to editors

Further information from Nigel Ellway, Countryside Agency press officer, on 

020 7340 2907 or Lynne Eveson, LGA press officer, on 020 7664 3333.

1. Rural proofing is the process of assessing the different impacts a policy might have in rural areas and, where necessary, making adjustments or compensations to reflect rural needs and circumstances. This survey builds on the research undertaken by the Countryside Agency into how local authorities might undertake rural proofing, and the LGA’s `Achieving rural revival’ report which recommended that local authorities should develop rural proofing of policies and service delivery.

2. Further copies of the report are priced at £20.00 (£10.00 to member authorities) and can be purchased through LGconnect on 0207 664 3131 or email info@lga.gov.uk

3. As the national voice for local communities, the Local Government Association (LGA) represents nearly 500 local authorities in England and Wales, who in turn work for over 50 million people and spend £65 billion a year on local services. Our mission is to secure the conditions in which local government can thrive, promote local government’s achievements and help councils improve. For further information visit www.lga.gov.uk. 

4. The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to make the quality of life better for people in the countryside and the quality of the countryside better for everyone. For more information on rural proofing visit the Countryside Agency website: www.countryside.gov.uk/essentialservices/ruralproofing