12/09/12….Market towns action group welcomes Government’s Rural Statement

A leading market towns support group has today welcomed the Government’s Rural Statement 2012, calling it “a fantastic summary of the many policy and funding initiatives that small towns and their surrounding rural communities can benefit from.”

Along with other members of the independent **Rural Coalition, Action for Market Towns (AMT) welcomed the fact that the new Defra Secretary of State, Owen Paterson MP, has immediately backed the Rural Statement’s launch, “signifying,” said AMT in a statement today, “the importance of this document to his department.”

AMT’s chief executive, Chris Wade, commented: “Town councils and community groups across England should be hurriedly reading through the Rural Statement and asking if they are ready to benefit from all the Government schemes listed. In our work with rural communities, we find that they have been leading the way with community led or neighbourhood planning as a great place to kick-start long-term improvements and link in to many other opportunities.

“Market towns and rural areas are home to one-fifth of the English population (nearly 10 million people) and with more than 505,000 businesses, or 28% of England?s total. They are also great places to do business.”

Earlier this year, AMT welcomed the creation of five Rural Growth Networks ? in Swindon and Wiltshire, Durham and Northumberland, Devon and Somerset, Cumbria, Coventry and Warwickshire ? to help businesses in rural areas to reach their potential by breaking down barriers to economic growth such as a shortage of work premises, slow internet connection and fragmented business networks.

“Lessons from pilots should influence policy across departments”

Commenting on the potential to boost the rural economy around small towns and the link to neighbourhood planning, Chris Wade added: “We hope that lessons from the Rural Growth Network pilots are quickly translated to influence policy across Whitehall. Neighbourhood planning, done well, can help keep money in the local economy and provide retail services and local jobs.

“Support for affordable housing will equally help to sustain rural economies. Ongoing support outlined in the Rural Statement for encouraging social enterprise through the