CRC website to be archived
This website is now being archived, so that our work and evidence base from the last five years may continue to be accessed and used by our many stakeholders and partners.
Latest news
CRC response to court closures
Last Summer the Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries asked the CRC to consider the impact on rural communities of the Ministry of Justice’s proposed programme of court closures.
State of the countryside update: Market towns
The Commission for Rural Communities have published a State of the Countryside Update focusing on Market Towns.
Tags on this post: market-towns state-of-the-countryside
Report of the Rural Champions Project
The Final Report of the Rural Champions Project and related appendices have now been published.
The Rural Big Society
The CRC and Respublica have worked together to develop the briefing paper ‘The Rural Big Society’, based on engagement with a broad cross section of rural interest groups, looking at the value of the Big Society approach to rural communities.
New studies offer signpost for future direction of rural transport
We are publishing six new reports aimed at assisting the provision of rural transport in the challenging economic climate.
Rural broadband – why does it matter?
The CRC has produced a short note explaining the importance of broadband to rural communities and the benefits it brings to businesses, public service delivery and community cohesion.
Tags on this post: broadband rural-communities
Renewable Energy Guide for Rural Communities
The CRC has worked in partnership with Action for Communities in Rural England (ACRE), the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) to produce a guide to help rural communities interested in generating renewable energy locally.
Tags on this post: renewable-energy
Continuing Effective Engagement for Town and Parish Councils
In partnership with ourselves, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is publishing a new suite of good practice guidance materials for local councils entitled ‘Continuing Effective Engagement for Town and Parish Councils’.
Small Villages, Big Society
As part of our work on the rural aspect of Big Society, last autumn we issued a call for Evidence on the economic impact of the Big Society in rural areas.
Supporting a Stronger Civil Society, a response from the Commission for Rural Communities
The CRC has submitted a response to the Consultation on the Cabinet Office draft strategy for supporting Civil Society Organisations.
Localism Bill and rural communities
The Commission for Rural Communities is pleased that the long awaited Localism Bill has finally been published.
Tags on this post: local
Welcome for new training strategy for parish and town councils
Today, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is publishing a new training strategy and delivery plan for parish and town councils across England and Wales.
Update on the future of the RDPE Network
The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Network will continue to operate through to 2013, as required under the European Rural Development Regulation.
Tags on this post: rdpe-network
Rural watchdog highlights need to tackle poverty amongst farming households
A quarter of farming households live below the official poverty line, receiving relatively little support either from agricultural policies or the welfare state. To help address the situation we have producd a report identifying the root causes of poverty amongst farming households and setting out what government needs to do.
Commissioning Children’s Centres: a rural perspective
Today we are launching Commissioning Children’s Centres: a rural perspective, a short guide focusing on families with young children in rural areas and the implications for Children’s Centre commissioning and delivery.
Tags on this post: Children children-and-families
A minimum income standard for rural areas
Today we are jointly publishing a research report with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) which sets out the higher costs of living for rural households.
Tags on this post: affordable-housing housing
Embedding rural areas into Local Enterprise Partnerships
The Government is determined “…that all parts of the country benefit from sustainable economic growth.” (Local growth: realising every place’s potential. HM Government 28 October 2010) To achieve this it will be imperative that Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) embed their rural areas into their evidence gathering and analysis; into their dialogue and partnership with local business and other communities; into the development of strategies and plans; and that the rural voice is given fair and full measure in their decision processes.
Tags on this post: rural-communities
Improving the effectiveness of delivering affordable rural housing: section 106 agreements, rural exception sites and Community Land Trusts
In July 2010 the CRC completed a short research based project exploring the provision of affordable rural housing through the use of Exception Sites, Section 106 Agreements, and local land trusts. This report draws on the ‘ground level’ experience of delivery practitioners to inform how Section 106 Agreements, rural Exception Sites and Community Land Trusts might be made more effective in the delivery of affordable housing, especially in difficult economic circumstances.
Tags on this post: housing
State of the countryside update: Sparsely populated areas
Our new State of the countryside update report focuses on the most sparsely populated areas of England in terms of their social, economic and environmental state and how these areas differ from other parts of country.
Tags on this post: rural-insights state-of-the-countryside