Rural heartlands: the way forward

UNLIKE those organisations that are resisting the Government's cuts without offering any tangible alternatives, the blueprint unveiled by the Commission for Rural Communities is a proactive policy document which aims to help the countryside fulfil its economic potential. It must not be allowed to gather dust.

It is also very timely, given Tony Blair's stark admission in his autobiography that the hunting ban was flawed, and that New Labour only acknowledged the rural economy when the foot-and-mouth crisis delayed the 2001 election by a month. It is a shame that the former PM did not share his candour when he was in a position to make

a difference.

The CRC makes a fundamental point when it highlights the reluctance of local authority planners to endorse schemes that will create new jobs because these proposals might affect the aesthetic appeal of an area. Provided any proposed building is in keeping with the landscape, there is a case to be made for existing rules to be relaxed slightly.

Yorkshire – and in particular its rural communities – is, frankly, not in a position to reject job-creation schemes

out of hand; indeed, one reason there is such a population imbalance in the countryside is that there are not sufficient career opportunities for young people.

It is, therefore, important, that areas like the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors – iconic national parks – are not excluded from the Local Economic Partnerships that are beginning to take shape locally, and replace Yorkshire Forward.

The region's rural economy, and the allied tourism industry, are too valuable to be overlooked by politicians who will, inevitably, focus their policy efforts on urban areas.

However, the CRC's forward-looking approach will count for nothing unless Ministers are far more effective than their Labour predecessors in overcoming the two barriers that are preventing rural businesses from fulfilling their potential – poor internet broadband coverage and haphazard mobile phone reception.

If these issues can be overcome, coupled with a more enlightened approach to planning, there should be no excuse for the region's rural heartlands being so disadvantaged from an economic perspective.