Reforming Rural Life

One of ORCC’s roles is to represent the interests of rural communities to decision makers at local, regional and national level. We do this because there is little point in us always dealing with the symptoms if we aren’t also dealing with the cause – so while we provide help and support to local transport schemes, for example, we are also working with transport planners and bus operators to try to improve the way that services meet rural needs.

Elsewhere on our website you will be able to read about the conference on ‘Rural Deprivation – sorting the facts from the figures’. The important data that prompted this event was developed by the RCC network so that local RCCs have the data we need to back up the points that we make in our work with Local Strategic Partners and Local Authorities. We know from experience what rural need looks like – but the case is much better made when there is data to support it.

At national level there has been a quiet but steadily growing consensus about what the priorities for rural England should be. Prompted by the report ‘Living, Working Countryside’, done by Matthew Taylor MP for Gordon Brown, six national organisations have jointly backed Mr. Taylor’s recommendations. The ‘Rural Coalition’ consists of our parent body, ACRE, plus the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), the Local Government Association, the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Town and Country Planning Association. They have together produced a document ‘The Future is Rural Too’, which sets out its vision for rural areas.

‘Living, Working Countryside’ and ‘The Future is Rural Too’ can be viewed here:-