My vision for 2020 is a country where broadband (real broadband of up to a gig) is available for all who want it. This is the only way forward, rural people having the same access to ICT as the urban people. The carbon footprint would be reduced as people can continue to live and work in the countryside. Without communication this is not possible and youngsters leave to work in the cities.
The incumbent (BT) is wringing revenue out of an obsolete copper network and instead of re-investing it pays fatcats and dividends. The govt needs to wake up and force it to deliver what it promises, instead of believing that this country has broadband. It doesn’t. The cities may have it but market towns and villages are lagging far behind as they are not economic. We need to light the fibre, everywhere, no matter what it costs. Broadband (min 100meg) is a utiility, and should be available for all.

Chris Conder

Given that we have to take a positive view, I see (perhaps!) a relationship between towns (market and larger) and villages developing, that resembles the traditional i.e. the towns providing services and the villages playing their part as service users and produce / product providers. I believe that this realignment will be brought about by  necessity.

Concerns about climate change will grow and the cost of fossil fuels will continue to increase. People and organisations and government / governance structures will have to adapt as travel becomes more expensive and technology helps new ‘remote’ ways of working to develop. Clearly drivers of change and people’s motivations will be more complicated than this and so it may not happen. But it might!

Gordon Morris

1) Environmental challenges will become more intense and market towns will need to be at the forefront of rural responses to carbon reduction, the development of sustainable lifestyles and low impact affordable places to live.

2) This will best be accomplished by empowering communities, informing them of their challenges and opportunities and working with them to develop their own responses. Councils & agencies need to establish the frameworks within which this can happen and then let people get on with it; giving power away will energise rural places.

3) Rural economies have diversified slowly – the pace and range needs to increase. Rural wages still lag behind regional/national averages. Sustainable places depend on diversity in employment opportunity – supported by local networks that improve trading links and skills acquisition

Ian Baker

Advantage West Midlands

Climate Change

Increased energy in the atmosphere will bring challenges which have to deal with – expect change and work with it! We have to learn to use the changes to our advantage.

IT

Increased communications electronically will replace costly travel. In some ways rural areas will become more isolated as we travel less but in other ways we will be more connected. Use of the internet will enable groups to come together quickly (and locally) when needed.

Economic Change

Economic changes may mean a return to U.K residents touring the UK. For this we must maintain our rural beauty while providing modern facilities and good food for discerning travellers.

John Arnfield

Church Stretton

• Market Towns and villages where people live and work

• Maintain our green and pleasant land but not at the cost of pricing out young people

• Thriving, diverse rural economy where most people have the opportunity to work from home

• Rural people to become ambassadors for the countryside, ending the damaging rural / urban divide

• Rural communities to be at the forefront of delivering climate change targets

• Rural areas to be more welcoming to people from all walks of life

• Every village to have access to tailored services via the web

Nicolas Milton

Commission for Rural Communities