Consultations

Thorndon Community Shop, run by local volunteers, marked 14 years of trading with a visit from local Member of Parliament, Adrian Ramsay We were delighted to join Adrian Ramsay MP at Thorndon Community Shop to celebrate its impressive milestone of 14 years of trading. During the visit, we had the opportunity [...]

Member of Parliament for Tatton, Esther McVey, was invited to a local community-owned business in Styal, Cheshire as it celebrated its 11th anniversary since opening Earlams Community Store and Café is much more than a village café – it is owned and run by the village as community shareholders, and [...]

Government Minister Alex Norris saw community business in action during his visit to the Woodgate Community Shop in West Sussex last week (17 July). The shop is a unique community-led initiative located within Woodgate, a new community built by Thakeham, an industry-leading housebuilder, in joint venture with Abri, one of [...]

A community’s right to buy a local asset or business was announced in Parliament yesterday (10 July) and welcomed by rural community business charity, Plunkett UK. As part of the English Devolution Bill set out in the House of Commons, it will become easier for local ownership groups to take [...]

This month: Plunkett and Members highlighted in Parliament, the Spending Review, engaging with the Business and Trade Committee, and visits to community businesses. Rural community shops in the House of Commons Plunkett UK and member Oxton Community Shop were directly mentioned in the House of Commons last month by [...]

As Plunkett announces its search for a Head of External Affairs with a focus on representing a growing movement of rural community-owned businesses, James Alcock, Chief Executive, shares a round-up of recent external affairs activity. If the last few weeks are anything to go by, our new Head of External [...]

Chris Cowcher, Head of Policy, comments on what Wednesday's Budget means for the community business sector, and reflects that it brings mixed news covering a number of issues. The media headlines had been written before yesterday’s budget announcement with a very clear indication before the Chancellor Rachel Reeves had [...]

Following his recent visit to Liverpool, our Head of Policy, Chris Cowcher shares an update on a range of engagements. Read Chris' diary entries from his three days at the Labour Party Conference to find out more about his interactions and conversations. You’ve only had to watch or listen to [...]

As the new government prioritises economic growth, a landmark report published today reveals the enormous potential of the rural economy, which could generate billions of pounds annually in additional tax revenues. The report shows that with the right policy framework, the rural economy could increase productivity significantly, leading to an [...]