DEFRA publishes study of England's rural communities alongside review of the rural white paper
Rural Affairs minister Alun Michael today published the first results from new research which shows in detail the changing nature of England's rural economy and society. The Rural Research Centre, established by Defra and led by Birkbeck College, has produced a study that will play a vital role in informing the delivery of rural policy over the coming years.
The report, Social and Economic Change and Diversity in Rural England, is published alongside a review of the Rural White Paper, which was commissioned last year to assess progress, examine whether objectives needed refreshing in the light of wider changes to the Government's agenda, and look for ways to accelerate delivery.
Alun Michael said:
"Past efforts to get to grips with the changing nature of England's rural landscape have been hampered by a real lack of detailed empirical evidence.
"Alongside the review of the Rural White Paper, which I am also publishing today, and the Rural Delivery Review conducted by Lord Haskins, this research marks an important step on the road towards the refreshed rural strategy, which Secretary of State Margaret Beckett will publish this spring.
"For the first time, we are building an evidence base which will help us understand the fast- changing nature of rural England. In tackling social exclusion, promoting productivity and working to bring about sustainable development in rural areas, a science-based approach will help bring about better and more effective policy-making.
"There are many areas of rural England which are performing well in economic terms with fundamentally prosperous communities. Over a quarter of our GDP is generated in rural areas and it is home to a third of our small businesses.
"Despite this, there remain some communities that face serious social and economic problems, especially those which are peripheral in a variety of ways including remoteness, and these communities struggle to attract new businesses and jobs. Elsewhere, we must not forget the households who have yet to benefit from the success of rural communities and we need to fine tune policy to ensure we reach the people who really need help.
"We are determined that policy will continue to respond to the rapid pace of rural change highlighted by the Birkbeck work.
"I look forward to working with our stakeholders and partners as we move towards our refreshed rural strategy which will set out how we will meet the challenges of the next 3-5 years.
