| Record number of young people not in education, work or training | |
This article points the prospect of persistent 20% levels of youth unemployment, which in my mind's eye is a national disgrace.
According to the article, in the counter-intuitive world of youth employment think tank Demos has identified: "that some qualifications harm young people's chances of securing a job. National Vocational Qualifications at levels one and two, which are equivalent to GCSEs, do nothing to protect young people against unemployment, the "thinktank" has found."
While this is an acute and worrying national problem it does have particularly challenging manifestations in rural areas, where difficulty in accessing FE provision and a low stock of jobs pose real challenges for those seeking to enter the labour market. In the current rush to deregulate and "liberalise" the operation of FE, giving local college much more self determination may well be a good thing - those of us in rural areas with any influence need to make sure in the light of the scale of this challenge that they don't take their eye off the rural ball.
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| Free councils to keep bulk of cash raised through business rates |
 (Link: The Guardian, 24 February)According to this article "Between a quarter and a third of local authorities will become "free councils" entirely independent of central government grant by the end of the parliament in 2015, under plans to be unveiled by the coalition in the next fortnight. "Many richer boroughs such as Westminster and big metropolitan councils would no longer be required to use their business rates to subsidise other parts of the country, although ministers say there would still be "an element of redistribution between wealthier and poorer councils". "The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are close to agreement on the terms of a quick six-month inquiry into the future of local council funding. This will focus on how to restore the right of councils in England to retain the bulk of revenue from business rates, as well as to keep more council tax revenue." This will be mixed news for rural authorities, which already have to rely on average more heavily on their council tax take than urban authorities, which get a higher proportion of their resources through the Government grant regime. It will be important for those of us in the rural local authority to keep an eye on the unfolding of this issue. |
British Gas reveals record £742m profit
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 (Link: The Independent, 24 February)How about this as an idea - a windfall tax on utilities of this scale to provide better infrastructure in rural communities? According to this article, "The UK's biggest energy supplier unveiled a record profit haul today just weeks after it hiked bills amid the coldest winter in 100 years. British Gas, which has nearly 16 million customer accounts, posted a 24% surge in operating profits to £742 million in 2010, two months after the supplier pushed up bills by 7%." Fuel poverty is a massive issue in rural communities many of which are completely in thrall to oil and electricity as their own sources of heating. It seems that gas is also becoming increasingly expensive and challenging (where you can get it in rural areas). A recent survey I completed revealed that rural dwellers feel the greatest challenge facing the sustainability of their communities is the increasing costs of fuel in terms of travel and domestic heating. This story bears their comments out. |
| What's the point of protecting Cornish pasties? |
 (Link: The Independent, 24 February)According to this article, "The Cornish pasty now joins the rarified ranks of champagne, gorgonzola and parmesan-reggiano. Only pasties prepared in Cornwall, that follow the agreed and traditional recipe can be labelled "Cornish". It means that a Cornish pasty must have the distinctive D shape, must be crimped on one side, must have a pastry that is golden in colour, must have not less than 12.5 per cent beef and must not split or crack, among many other musts." This story reveals the importance of local food to the development and branding of rural economies - not every food initiative is successful and there are limits to what can be achieved in developing rural economies in the context of local food - however over the last 5 years food initiatives seem to have grown massively in scale and significance. It would be interesting to develop an overview of how this agenda is working itself in the context of rural local authority areas. |
Fall in payroll giving takes
wind out of 'big society' sails |
 (Link: The Guardian, 24 February)According to this story, "Payroll giving has decreased for the second year in a row, according to accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, with the number of employees opting to give directly from their gross salary dropping from 754,000 to 724,000. The number of payroll givers peaked at 758,000 in 2007/08, but has fallen as increasing numbers of workers have lost their jobs." It demonstrates yet another challenge facing the viability of the voluntary and community sector in terms of funding and throws a really interesting side light on the loss of public sector jobs (the source of many payroll donors) in terms of the broader negative implications likely to arise from public sector redundancies. |
| Consultations |
Planning Policy Statement 3: Planning for Housing - Technical change to Annex B, Affordable Housing definition: This consultation seeks views on the definition of Affordable Rent proposed to be included as part of the definition of affordable housing in a revised annex B to Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3). This change will mean affordable rent can be regarded as affordable housing for planning purposes. This is a big deal for rural areas and you should definitely comment. I am doing some work on "rural affordable " at the moment and would b very happy to involve you in the testing of a new tool which is emerging from the process.
Simple financial products - HM Treasury
The government wants views from all interested parties - including the financial services industry and consumers themselves - on how simple products can best be developed and implemented, what the challenges such an initiative would present and how these can be overcome. The intention is to help people to choose the right financial services product for their needs and be able to trust the market to give them a fair deal. Closes 25 March 2011.
Road network policy consultation - the Department for Transport
The DFT is proposing to devolve responsibility on the classification of local roads. The Department wants to increase the freedom of local authorities to set road classifications and routes on the primary route network, and to reduce its role in guidance and appeals cases. The consultation outlines existing policy on the strategic road network, data reporting procedures and how satellite navigation technology fits into existing arrangements and includes a set of questions for response. Closes 1 May 2011.
The future of fire and rescue control services in England
Communities and Local Government (CLG) is seeking views on the future arrangements of fire and rescue control services in England following the decision to close down the FiReControl project. The FiRe project was part of the previous Government's Fire and Resilience Programme launched in 2004 to replace standalone fire and rescue service control rooms with nine regional control centres. While there are no public safety implications emerging from the decision to cancel the project, the Government is seeking views on what lessons can be learnt from FiReControl, the role of central Government in supporting fire and rescue authorities (including service delivery) and setting funding priorities. Closes 8 April 2011.
Simple financial products
HM Treasury is aiming to gather views from all interested parties (including the financial services industry and consumers themselves) on how simple products can best be developed and implemented; what the challenges such an initiative would present; and how these challenges can be overcome. The intention is to help people choose the right financial product for their needs and trust the market to give them a fair deal. Closes 25 March 2011.
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The Rural Services Network - working with Knight Frank
 Knight Frank is RSN's property partner and specialises in helping the Public Sector maximise the value of its rural property portfolios. This is particularly important at a time when budgets are under immense pressure.
Because we are the only Office of Government Commerce (OGC) approved rural property consultancy, we can provide immediate strategic advice if needed. Our specialisms include strategic asset reviews, Landlord and Tenant compliance assessments, enhancing capital and revenue positions and full or partial management.
For a no obligation discussion, please contact rsn@knightfrank.com. To find out more about our services, please look at our website.
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LPGenius from Calor - Our Energy Partner
 Calor Gas Ltd is the RSN's energy partner and the UK's leading supplier of bulk and bottled LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) - a low carbon, low cost energy solution for rural homes and businesses.
Calor LPG plays a vital role in meeting the countryside's diverse energy requirements and is used in thousands of applications across many different sectors. And we don't just supply LPG; we are continually innovating and investing in new technologies to bring the next generation of energy efficient and renewable appliances to the rural market.
Fuelling the British countryside since 1935, we offer unmatched service and customer support. Visit www.calor.co.uk or call 0800 181 4530. Alternatively, email at Holly Sims at hsims@calor.co.uk.
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| And finally... | And finally... There's a frog in my fridge! Couple's shock as tropical amphibian jumps out of her salad
Daily Mail, 24 February 2011
This article explains how "A woman preparing last night's dinner lost her appetite when she went to the fridge and found a... tropical tree FROG. Donna Hunt, 32, screamed as the creature leapt onto the kitchen floor and hopped about as her husband Steve, 46, scrambled around trying to catch it."
It suggests a new spin on added value in the promotion of local food products - "choose your preferred amphibian" as part of your favourite ready meal- not sure it will catch on universally - the couple in this story didn't really take to the idea - but with a little more effort I am sure those who like to live life at the culinary edge could be encouraged to buy into the concept!
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