ACRE Briefings
ACRE compiles Briefings on a range of development relevant to rural communities.
The Right to Build and Parish Polls (August 2010)
Government policy is being developed on the basis of community referenda to demonstrate community support for a local initiative under the Big Society mechanisms. This briefing paper explores the current parish poll system and discusses its relevance to emerging policy.
To read the full ACREbriefing, please click here
[August 2010]
Community Led Planning can build the Big Society (July 2010)
This ACRE briefing paper identifies how the process of Community Led Planning can form the building block for government initiatives on the Right to Build, Right to Buy and Right to Bid and can deliver the required evidence on community support for relevant grass roots projects under these policies.
To read the full ACREbriefing, please click here
[July 2010]
The 2010/11 Coalition Budget
The Chancellor presented what he called a ‘tough but fair’ Budget aiming to eliminate the structural deficit by the end of this Parliament, to be achieved roughly 80% through spending cuts and 20% through tax increases. This equates to £30 billion a year in spending cuts.
The Budget demonstrates the enormous scale of the challenge facing third sector organisations. The spending cuts announced will hit frontline services, and it is clear that the third sector will be asked to do more at a time when parts of its cost base are rising.
To read the full ACRE briefing, please click here
[June 2010]
ACRE Briefing: The 2010 Budget
The annual Budget took place Wednesday 24th March 2010.
Overall, many of the measures introduced this week reflect an expectation that, by next year, the economy will be in recovery mode.
The budget will have a mixed impact as far as rural areas are concerned. Temporary help is given on winter fuel payments and a definite boost to the rural economy, whilst fuel duty increases will inevitably impact on rural access to services.
Some of the main changes that affect rural areas include.........
Poverty and social inclusion
Banks and building societies will be legally required to open a basic bank account for anyone who asks, offering no overdraft but a debit card and the ability to pay direct debits. Tackling financial inclusion in rural areas is a significant issue caused by lack of access to banking facilities, decline in access to post office services and difficulties in using online banking.
Small and medium sized businesses
Small and medium sized businesses form a major part of the rural economy. Rural areas will therefore receive proportionately more of a boost to the local economy as a result of what is a significant package of measures.
Transport
The 3p fuel duty rise, previously announced as applying from April, is to be phased in – one penny in April, one penny in October and the remainder in January 2011. Raising the cost of fuel will have significantly more impact in rural areas compared with urban areas.
Broadband
The government is committed to a major roll out of broadband. Super-fast broadband will reach 90% of homes by 2017, in rural as well as urban areas with the benefit not limited to the better off.
Environmental Challenges
A new Green Investment Bank investment bank of £2bn will provide support for low-carbon industries such as offshore wind with the aim of unlocking significant private sector investment. The fund will focus first on investing in green transport and sustainable energy.
More information on the 2010 Budget can be found by reading the ACRE response to the Budget, by clicking here, or to view the Budget in full, by going to the HM Treasury website.
[March 2010]
ACRE Briefing: Conservative Planning Green Paper
The Conservative Party issued its long awaited Green Paper on Planning at the end of February 2010. Their proposals would abolish the top-down determination of housing requirements via Regional Spatial Strategies, and transfer the responsibility of assessing local development needs to Local Government. Local Plans would take much greater account of the vision that local communities develop for their own area under a process of 'collaborative democracy', which mirrors the current approach of Community Led Planning. Additional development would be rewarded through local tariffs on development and other incentives, some proportion of which would transfer to local communities themselves.
Read ACRE's briefing on the Green Paper here
[March 2010]
ACRE Briefing: Pubs – the situation and their future in rural areas
The position of pubs (nationally and in rural areas) and their communities appears bleak if the current situation of closures and job losses continues. RCAN supports communities being empowered to bring about change for their communities but to enable this to happen additional action is required.
Within this concerning situation there are many examples of activity taking place that is benefitting pubs in both rural and urban communities. At the heart of this work has been Pub is the Hub. Operating since 2001, it seeks to support pubs to be the focal point of community services. It encourages pub owners, licensees and their local communities to work together to support and retain local services by, where possible, bringing services into the pub itself. Much of this work is taking place in rural areas.
ACRE has prepared a briefing on the topic.
[November 2009]
ACRE Briefing: Ageing
This Briefing summarises the new Government Strategy on Ageing: Building a Society for all ages and the related document Working Together for Older People in Rural Areas that examines evidence on the social exclusion experienced by older people in rural areas and identifies examples of innovative service delivery that is making a difference. view here
[September 2009]
ACRE Briefing: Post Office Network Update
ACREbriefing about the changes to the post office network nationally and in rural areas view here
[August 2009]
The Conservative Party have launched their Agenda for Rural Communities. It outlines a renewed commitment to understanding and responding to the needs of rural areas and promises to respect rural people, devolve more power to rural communities, protect rural services and revive the rural economy.
ACRE has produced a briefing in response to the agenda. Whilst we are pleased that many of the specific needs of rural areas are acknowledged, we are concerned that plans to give greater powers to rural communities fail to acknowledge the potential of Community Led Plans or the unique role of Parish and Town Councils in promoting sustainable solutions to rural development.
Rural Action: A Conservative Agenda for Rural Communities can be accessed here
ACRE’s briefing in response to the manifesto can be accessed here
[July 2009]
Rural Proofing
ACRE has consistently been engaged in the debate about rural proofing. Our briefing Thinking rural: thinking urban urges policy makers to ‘think rural’ in order to take into consideration the characteristics of even the smallest of communities. The briefing highlights the characteristics of rural communities and addresses some of the issues that face people living in dispersed communities with a lack of access to services. It also highlights the role that volunteers and community groups play in these communities.
[May 2009]
ACRE Briefing: on the 2009 April Budget
This briefing covers selected extracts from the Treasury’s Budget report that have relevance for rural communities and for those that support their sustainability. Some measures have been included since they may have specific rural impact, good or bad. Many focus on economic resilience and measures to help those who are most disadvantaged through low incomes or worklessness.
Amongst the issues highlighted in this ACRE briefing are:
- Help for SMEs including measures for keeping around 6,000 small businesses out of the VAT system.
- Regional and local investment.
- The launch of new £20 million Hardship Fund to provide grant support to third sector organisations delivering front-line services to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society.
- An additional £45 million for small-scale renewable electricity and heat technologies, primarily through the Low-Carbon Buildings Programme.
Click here for the full ACRE briefing.
[April 2009]
The Government's response to the Taylor Review
The Government response to the Taylor Review was published in late March 2009. The delay had concerned rural and housing organisations believing it might mean a lack of support. However the Governments response was mainly very positive and welcomed most of Matthew Taylor’s 48 recommendations. In doing so it recognised that rural areas ‘face a range of challenges which are very different in different parts of the country and require targeted responses at local level’ . The Government also commented positively on the Review’s extensive consultation noting that it had helped shape ’a growing consensus about what is needed in the English Countryside’.
ACRE supports many aspects of the Government’s response because it recognised the benefits of supporting community-led action, and increasing the long-term sustainability of local community life. This structure of this Briefing mirrors the Government responses and you can find ACRE's Briefing on the Government's response to Taylor here
ACRE has also prepared a Briefing on the Taylor Review and Government response (below) and press release on the Government's response to the Taylor Review. For the press release please view here
[April 2009]
The Homes and Communities Agency’s Single Conversation
The Single Conversation is the term the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) (insert link) uses to describe how it will engage with local authorities and their partners in the private, independent and voluntary sectors. The information it gathers will inform its business plan and investment decisions. The Single Conversation aims to be co-operative and consensual to bring forward affordable housing and regeneration based on the needs of local areas. Read ACRE’s Briefing on the Single Conversation here.
Consultation on Planning Policy Statement 4 - Planning for Prosperous Economies
This ACRE Briefing summarises a New Draft Statement that brings together the Government’s main planning polices relating to the economy.
It is a consultation and responses were invited by 28th July 2009. ACRE encouraged RCAN members to send submissions as individual organisations and to contribute to a joint response that we co-ordinate. ACRE’s response to Draft PPS4 can be seen here.
[April 2009]
The Legislative Reform (Supervision of Alcohol Sales in Church and Village Halls) Order 2009 view here This order received parliamentary approval in March 2009.
This Order follows detailed lobbying, campaigning and consultation with the Department for Culture Media and Sport during the last six years. ACRE has produced a briefing which outlines how it is intended that the Order will work for hall committees who want to sell alcohol at fundraising, social and other activities that take place in rural halls.
view briefing here
You may find the discussion in the House of Lords on 18 March 2009 of interest.
[March 2009]
ARCHIVE
Aggregates Levy [April 2007]
Care for your Area [May 2007]
Changing Behaviour and Communication [April 2007]
Climate Change [April 2007]
Jargon Buster [May 2007]
Peak Oil [April 2007]
Save Energy [May 2007]
Save Resources [May 2007]
Shop Ethically [May 2007]
Transport [May 2007]
Travel Wisely [May 2007]
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