Budget cuts to hit rural services hard

Rural local authorities are particularly likely to reduce funding for services as budgets plummet, England’s biggest rural partnership has warned.

Councils will see net revenue budgets for all services fall by 11% during the year to 2011/12, said the Rural Services Network [1].

During the two years to 2012/13, net revenue budgets will fall by 17%.

The figures are based on an RSN survey of revenue budgets over the next two years and the implications for service provision in rural areas [2].

They suggest rural local authorities will see staffing levels fall by an average of 5% during the year to 2011/12 and by 10% during the two years to 2012/13.

RSN chief executive Graham Biggs said the study showed that local authority cuts would hit rural residents harder than their urban counterparts.

Mr Biggs said: "Rural cuts are happening from a starting position where there are already fewer services available to communities."

Services most likely to be cut include cultural services, parks and leisure, economic development, environmental maintenance, and waste and recycling.

Services least likely to be affected include education, Sure Start, advice services, and housing and homelessness services.

The study was carried out on behalf of the network by Brian Wilson, of research consultants Brian Wilson Associates [3].

"A number of these rural local authorities stressed that they were focusing any cuts on management costs and back office functions," he said.

"But while it is clear that some have largely managed to protect frontline staff and services, the picture is very variable."

Half of the rural local authorities questioned said they were still as likely to give grants to community and voluntary organisations next year.

But most of the others said they would be less likely to do so.