A paper examined the lessons for rural policy that had emerged from recent research. Urban and rural economies were increasingly interlinked, and the division between 'rural' and 'urban' was no longer useful for thinking about policy. Instead of targeting disparities, rural policy should focus on effective provision of public goods and services in rural areas, and on the wider impacts of rural policy.
Source: Henry Overman and Steve Gibbons, The Future of Rural Policy: Lessons from spatial economics, Policy Paper 8, Spatial Economics Research Centre (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
A taskforce report made a series of recommendations on ways to reduce regulatory 'burdens' on farmers and food processors.
Source: Farming Regulation Task Force, Striking a Balance: Reducing burdens; increasing responsibility; earning recognition, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Links: Report | DEFRA press release | CLA press release | NFU press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-May
A report examined the impact of international migration on rural economies in the United Kingdom. There was a substantial increase in the size of the migrant population in rural areas in the four years before the economic recession, driven by a strong demand for migrant labour from particular industries. Immigration had had a significant but small negative impact on the wages of UK workers at the bottom of the occupational distribution. Challenges from immigration included pressure on existing local services and integration within local communities.
Source: Heather Wells and Paula Lucci, International Migration and Rural Economies, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the European Union 'LEADER' programmes, aimed at promoting rural development. It called for a more widespread and systematic use of the programmes in equipping rural communities to meet the future challenges in rural areas.
Source: A Common Rural Development Policy?, Carnegie UK Trust
Date: 2011-Feb