A report (by an official advisory body) said that proposed levels of investment in affordable rural housing by regional assemblies would result in 5 per cent fewer homes being provided in each of the three years to 2011 than annually during 2006-2008. Only a minority of regions had specifically examined the need for housing in their rural areas.
Source: Taking Forward the Recommendations of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission: Final Report, Commission for Rural Communities/Countryside Agency (020 7340 2900)
Links: Report | CRC press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Nov
A consultants' report examined the way rural issues were being dealt with through regional spatial strategies and regional housing strategies. At regional and local level, there needed to be a much better understanding of the amount of housing (market and affordable) in rural areas which was being sought and which was being delivered.
Source: Three Dragons, Assessing the Rural Content of Regional Spatial and Housing Strategies, Commission for Rural Communities/Countryside Agency (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Nov
A briefing paper said that there was considerable variability in the provision of care services to people living in rural areas: but, overall, they were less likely to receive services comparable with their urban counterparts. Rural services cost more to deliver than those in urban areas, and a higher burden in the time and cost of access fell upon rural service users. The needs of some rural dwellers, especially those from minority ethnic groups, were often neglected. Efforts to ensure equity, in terms of the standards and levels of service provision, had had mixed success.
Source: Richard Pugh, Thomas Scharf, Charlotte Williams and Diane Roberts, Obstacles to Using and Providing Rural Social Care, Research Briefing 22, Social Care Institute for Excellence (020 7089 6840)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2007-Oct
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on post office restructuring. It said that in addition to the restructuring of the network to align better demand for post office services with supply, the Post Office management continued to seek new products and services for the network 'with some success'.
Source: Restructuring the Post Office Network: Government Response to the Committee's Eighth Report, Seventh Special Report (Session 2006-07), HC 1083, House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2007-Oct
A report examined the part that children?s centres could play in improving access to services for the most disadvantaged children under 5 and their families living in rural areas.
Source: Janet Williams, Developing Children?s Centres in Rural Areas, Commission for Rural Communities/Countryside Agency (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report (for an official advisory body) examined the significance and co-dependence of combined rural post offices and village shops in England, and provided an overall perspective on their viability.
Source: ERM Planning, The Economic Significance of Post Offices Combined with a Village Shop, Commission for Rural Communities/Countryside Agency (020 7340 2900)
Links: Report | Summary | CRC press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A report examined the role of faith-based organizations in voluntary action in rural areas.
Source: Jemma Grieve, V?ronique Jochum, Belinda Pratten and Claire Steel, Faith in the Community: The contribution of faith-based organisations to rural voluntary action, National Council for Voluntary Organisations (0800 279 8798)
Links: Report | Summary | NCVO press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A report (by an official advisory body) said that neither the demand nor the need for rural housing had been assessed in a way that provided a clear view of how much housing should be provided in rural areas.
Source: Taking Forward the Recommendations of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission: Progress so far, Commission for Rural Communities/Countryside Agency (020 7340 2900)
Links: Report | Defra press release | Telegraph report | Regeneration & Renewal report
Date: 2007-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs questioned the ability of the Post Office's management to develop new areas of business, and create a commercially viable network rather than one permanently dependent on subsidy.
Source: Restructuring the Post Office Network, Eighth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 593, House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NCC press release | BBC report | FT report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2007-Jun
The government announced (following consultation) that 2,500 of the existing 14,300 post offices would be closed because of financial losses.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Debate 17 May 2007, columns 753-772, TSO (0870 600 5522) | The Post Office Network: Government response to public consultation, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Hansard | DTI press release | Consultation response | LGA press release | Help the Aged press release | Age Concern press release | CRC press release | Citizens Advice press release | CPRE press release | NCC press release | COSLA press release | Mayor of London press release | FT report
Date: 2007-May
A report by a committee of MPs said that although the costs of the post office network might be reduced through the government's proposed restructuring programme, revenues were likely to continue to fall without remedial action.
Source: Stamp of Approval? Restructuring the post office network, Third Report (Session 2006-07), HC 276, House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Apr
A report described a series of case studies which presented alternative methods of providing post office services in rural areas.
Source: Alternative Ways to Provide Post Office Services: Case studies, Commission for Rural Communities/Countryside Agency (020 7340 2900)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jan
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the post office network. The Post Office remained an important way of accessing services, and the restructuring proposals recently announced by government would help place it on a stable long-term financial footing.
Source: Royal Mail Group: Government Response to the Committee?s Ninth Report of Session 2005?06, First Special Report (Session 2006-07), HC 230, House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2007-Jan