Our Chief Executive, James Alcock, responds to the Government’s flagship Pride in Place Programme announced yesterday (25 September)
National charity, Plunkett UK, has today expressed disappointment that the Government’s flagship Pride in Place programme risks overlooking rural communities, despite the pressing need for investment and support in these areas.
The Prime Minister announced that 330 ‘left behind’ communities will benefit from new rights to buy local assets, compulsory purchase powers, and greater control over some spending decisions. Yet these communities are overwhelmingly urban, leaving thousands of rural areas excluded from this opportunity.
Dyslwyn Community Shop, Carmarthenshire
James Alcock, Plunkett’s Chief Executive, said:
“While the measures announced are welcome for the urban communities identified, and the funding will undoubtedly provide a much-needed boost, we are deeply concerned that rural communities have once again been overlooked. For too long, successive governments have failed to recognise the unique challenges facing rural areas – where people live without access to basic services, affordable transport, or even a place to gather and socialise. If rural England were measured as its own region, government’s own data shows it would be the area most in need of levelling up.”
Plunkett argues that existing deprivation metrics used to identify the Pride in Place areas are not fit for purpose in rural settings, where poverty is more dispersed and service deprivation has a disproportionate impact. The charity is urging the government to create a dedicated rural programme, designed to empower these communities to identify their own needs and solutions, rather than leaving them behind once again.
James continued:
“We cannot accept that the needs of rural communities are left to chance, or that they must compete on a playing field tilted against them. The government must act to ensure fair recognition and tailored support for rural areas – not assume that a programme designed for urban deprivation will fit all.
“We do, however, welcome the government’s recognition of the co-operative sector and the plans to establish a new Co-operative Development Unit. Plunkett and our members represent the fastest-growing part of this sector, and we stand ready to work with government to ensure this growth is extended into rural areas. But it cannot be assumed that this will happen without further investment and dedicated support.”
Plunkett UK will continue to press the case for rural communities at the highest levels and remains willing to work in partnership with government to make sure that no community, urban or rural, is left behind.
