Commission for Rural Communities to be Axed

July 2010

Environment secretary Caroline Spelman has announced the closure of the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC).

'With an urgent need to drive down debt and reduce government spending we will have to make some tough decisions,' she said. 'Our belief is that policy should be driven from the centre and that our arm's length bodies will be efficient and effective in meeting customer needs.'

Some of its functions will be taken over by a strengthened Rural Communities Policy Unit within Defra. It is hoped some CRC staff will join the unit to minimise the loss of experience.

Stuart Burgess, CRC chair, said: 'While the loss of an independent commission is regrettable, the secretary of state has recognised the need for decision makers across and beyond government to continue to receive expert advice about the impact of their policies on people who live and work in rural areas. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of its staff and commissioners, the CRC has come to be seen as an authoritative and constructive source of evidence, insights and practical rural solutions. We will do all we can to ensure those strengths are transferred to the new Rural Communities Policy Unit and that work on priority issues - such as broadband, affordable housing and transport - continues uninterrupted.'

To read the full ACRE briefing visit www.acre.org.uk.


Public Sector Cuts have a Disproportionate Effect on Rural Areas

July 2010

The emergency budget is expected to have a disproportionate impact on rural areas as a result of public sector job losses and a freeze on pay and benefits.

The Chancellor presented what he called a 'tough but fair' Budget aiming to eliminate the structural deficit by the end of this Parliament, to be achieved roughly 80% through spending cuts and 20% through tax increases. This equates to £30 billion a year in spending cuts.

The Budget demonstrates the enormous scale of the challenge facing third sector organisations. The spending cuts announced will hit frontline services, and it is clear that the third sector will be asked to do more at a time when parts of its cost base are rising.

However, rural communities face being amongst the worst hit by the public sector cuts announced in the budget. Alongside the impact of the inevitable reduction in public services, rural areas could suffer a disproportionate impact as a result of public sector job losses.

Research done by Rose Regeneration, shows that people in rural areas are more likely to have a job in the public sector. On average, 33% of jobs in 'predominantly rural' authorities are public sector compared to 27% for other authorities. Six predominantly rural authorities are amongst the top 25 council areas in England in terms of public sector jobs (24%), despite such authorities making up less than 14% of the first tier councils in England.