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Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board, responded to a Rural Services Network call for a rural strategy ahead of Brexit 

“Councils recognise the stark picture painted by this research. Across non-metropolitan areas, unaffordable homes, poor connectivity, skills gaps and health inequalities threaten to bring about a perfect storm jeopardising the future success and prosperity of local residents and businesses.

“The LGA’s Post-Brexit England Commission was established to find a way forward. It sets out how councils in non-metropolitan areas can build thriving, connected and healthy communities if they are given the powers and funding to deliver for their residents.

“In these uncertain times there is now an overwhelming case for a fundamental rethink by the Government of the role councils can play to deliver the best outcomes for communities outside cities.”

Notes to editors

• The Local Government Association’s People and Places Board established the Post-Brexit England Commission to broaden its understanding of the issues and opportunities facing the towns, villages, rural, deeply rural and coastal communities of non-metropolitan England in the coming years.
• In July 2018, it published a report detailing its interim findings. ‘The Future of Non-Metropolitan England: moving the conversation on’ which outlined the ‘perfect storm’ of social and demographic challenges facing our rural and coastal communities. It detailed seven key areas in which the Commission proposes local government must be given the powers to address local issues to support the future success of non-metropolitan England. The Commission is due to publish its final report at the LGA Annual Conference in July 2019.

Government urged to produce new rural strategy ahead of Brexit