A report by a committee of MPs said that there was "compelling" evidence that liberalization delivered an improved postal service: but the choice of dates for the move to full liberalization would leave Royal Mail unfairly disadvantaged against other operators.
Source: Royal Mail after Liberalisation, Second Report (Session 2005-06), HC 570, House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Dec
The postal services regulator said that the rural post office network should be planned using more innovative methods of service provision, such as mobile offices and partnerships with other organizations or communities.
Source: The Three Rs: Research, Urban Reinvention, Rural Network - Postcomm s Fifth Annual Report on the network of Post Offices 2004-2005, Postal Services Commission (020 7593 2100)
Links: Report (pdf) | Postcomm press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Oct
Campaigners said that government plans to introduce a market-based approach to planning for housing would devastate the countryside and fail to meet the need for affordable housing.
Source: Housing Manifesto, Campaign to Protect Rural England (020 7981 2800)
Links: Manifesto (pdf) | CPRE press release
Date: 2005-Oct
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on rural railways.
Source: Rural Railways: Government Response to the Committee's Fifth Report of Session 2004-05, Fifth Special Report (Session 2005-06), HC 587, House of Commons Transport Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2005-Oct
A report considered how local authorities could use second-generation local public service agreements to address the problems facing their rural communities.
Source: Tom Entwistle and Gareth Enticott, Researching the Rural Dimensions to LPSAs, Countryside Agency (0870 120 6466)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jul
A review examined the evidence relating to the drivers and impacts of second home ownership in rural areas, and considered the effectiveness of policies to remedy any consequent imbalances in rural housing markets.
Source: Alison Wallace et al., The Impact of Empty, Second and Holiday Homes on the Sustainability of Rural Communities: A systematic literature review, Centre for Housing Policy/University of York (01904 433691)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2005-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs welcomed moves away from centralized target-setting for those delivering rural services at the regional and local level.
Source: The Government's Rural Strategy and the draft Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill, Fifth Report (Session 2004-05), HC 408, House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs said that it would be unreasonable to consider further closure of rural rail services without much more robust financial information about the true costs of rural lines, and their true contribution to the network.
Source: Rural Railways, Fifth Report (Session 2004-05), HC 169, House of Commons Transport Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | LGA press release
Date: 2005-Mar
A discussion paper called for a land swap levy to fund rural affordable housing. The levy would take part of the uplift in value gained from a change of land use in rural areas.
Source: Alan Whitehead MP, Putting Land to Work: The role of a land-swap levy , Town and Country Planning Association (020 7930 8903)
Links: Summary | TCPA press release
Date: 2005-Feb
A report said that remoteness, lack of public transport services, and the centralization of health services meant that many people in rural areas could have difficulties in accessing healthcare. There was evidence that some health outcomes for rural patients were poor compared with those from urban areas.
Source: Healthcare in a Rural Setting, British Medical Association (020 7383 6164)
Links: Report (pdf) | BMA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jan