Jill Grieve (London, The Countryside Alliance): 2008 could be a big year for rural Britain. A host of bills and important landmarks await:
6th February - the winners of the Countryside Alliance's third annual Best Rural Retailer competition will be announced - check bestruralretailer.co.uk for regional winners. The competition seeks to celebrate rural Britain through the retailers who work so hard to keep their communities together.
18th February - is the third anniversary of the Hunting Act 2004 coming into force in England and Wales. This will be marked by hunts going out, showing the law up for the pantomime it is, and counting down to the inevitable repeal. Check out the Countryside Alliance's Case for Repeal here.
End of February - the Housing and Regeneration Bill reaches report stage. The Countryside Alliance has identified affordable housing as the top problem in rural areas. The Bill will create a new "homes agency" tasked with delivering the necessary supply of new homes, and will also bring increased investment for social housing. The Countryside Alliance will keep an eye on the Bill's passage and is determined that bureaucracy be limited - do we actually need a homes agency? We are keen to strengthen the existing Rural Development Agencies and give local authorities more power so we can have a devolved and community-minded approach to issues involving local people: local needs and not Westminster diktats.
Mid to late February - the Local Transport Bill gets a second reading in the commons. The Countryside Alliance is extremely supportive of any Bill which seeks to improve public transport in rural areas, and giving Local Authorities the power and flexibility to make decisions locally is very much to be welcomed. However, we are vehemently opposed to any road pricing "pay as you go" schemes, as in isolated areas people have absolutely no choice but to have a car, and they would be unfairly penalised. If we are tackling the affordable housing problem on the one hand, which is good for young families, let's not cost them a fortune on transport with the other: road pricing would be an unfair financial burden and could cancel out the good of other legislation.
Late February / early March - the Planning Reform Bill reaches report stage. The Planning Reform Bill aims to make the planning system more streamlined, decision making more transparent and make it easier for the public to become involved in decisions and have a far greater say. The Countryside Alliance believes that the Bill is a real opportunity to make right the archaic planning system in this country, which at present strangles diversification in rural areas and hinders homeowners, by replacing it with a system that encourages entrepreneurs and cuts red tape.
3 - 11 May 2008 - the second National Shooting Week will take place. This groundbreaking event will be organised once again by the Countryside Alliance on behalf of the British Shooting Sports Council. In May 2007 the first ever National Shooting Week was held in the UK with more than 200 public open days enabling thousands of people to try shooting for the very first time.
Finally, National Post Office consultations will be ongoing throughout the year. 2,500 branches of the 16,000 strong Post Office network have been earmarked for closure and are under consultation, so are battling for survival. Many anxious rural communities await their fate and the Countryside Alliance will continue to make the case that the worth of each Post Office goes far beyond stamps and parcel tape. As a lifeline and heart of many isolated rural areas where the elderly and vulnerable rely on their branch for human contact, we must fight to make our the case for social stability, even if the ongoing Government consultations prove to be masking a foregone conclusion. Check here for ongoing consultations and dates.
