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

In no particular order:

1. Green public transport for outlying rural areas

2. Developed, local produce bartering systems

3. Sustainable rural housing which is affordable and of low visual impact but innovative, exploiting off-grid,  renewable / sustainable energy, waste and local produce systems.

4. Halt destruction of local heritage features including those less visible e.g. prehistoric burial mounds and archaeological sites (under plough).

5. Better understanding and interpretation of heritage assets including the archaeological

6. Local hubs e.g. market towns with developed partnership working and vibrancy which makes all population sectors feel included e.g. teens, elderly and families with few family ties.

7. Better developed arts partnerships / activities

8. Eased planning restrictions on home working

Judy Bell

Lindsey Action Zone

Creation of a rural hub around a vibrant Market Town, by the use of structured sustainable transport initiatives, run on locally produced bio diesel and environmental produced initiatives (e.g. wind forms, wave power) meet the challenge of NIMBY-ism

Pay back for the rural ares by incentivising local food production and local food sales. e,g 10% return on gross to local community.

Support for homeworking and improved infrastructure of broadband in rural communities.

Adopt a rural community and promote through urban / district / regional initiatives.

Ivan Fuller

Bourne town Centre Manager

More jobs

More homeworking

More recycling

Less travel to work

Better domestic architecture

Restore selected bits of the pre-Beeching rail network

Fewer labradors and 4×4s

Less traffic and more rural opportunities.

Being able to work from home.

Safe, friendly and enterprising communities

People working in partnership

Sharing of all types of resources e.g. food, people skills, time, transport, energy,

recreation, caring

Vibrant and economically viable shops, pubs and services working in harmony to deliver what people want and need.

The retention of local stories, ‘yarning’, history and information being shared and passed down, old and young for future generations.

Local customs, a sense of belonging and not a sense of loss.

Charlotte Foster

Plunkett Foundation

A balanced mix of housing, support and general services, quality education and business units providing a range of quality businesses and therefore jobs

Opportunities for young people to remain or return to live and work in rural areas, through provision of above

A range of working opportunities e.g. live/work units, home working policies within businesses

Fully covered technological infrastructure to all rural areas no matter how remote

Development opportunities which are sensitive to the existing rural landscape to allow much of the above to happen

Renewable energy infrastructure that complements the environment & protects the landscape/environment

Enhance the cultural heritage of the rural areas & link to providing a prosperous tourism industry.

• Seek a balance and inter-dependency between market towns and their hinterlands AND between them and nearby urban areas. Need to improve urban areas if we are not to push more people out of them and into surrounding rural areas

• IT can breakdown barriers and combat rural isolation BUT it may also encourage the development of far flung online communities at the expense of stronger local and businesses – Tesco online is great but can mitigate against local retailers.

• Increased home working is great for rural areas and by minimising commuting is more environmentally sustainable. Just as important is the group of people remaining in the rural area in the daytime – social bonding, local trading and community support

• Young people have always left rural areas for city lights but they return when they ‘settle down’ and start families.

My vision of rural England includes affordable housing for the next generation of house owners, the ability for the younger generation to live and work in the areas they and their families have grown up, more investment in farming and transport as well as investment by the business community, which encourages continuous growth and participation for local, rural communities.

I would hope that technology and investment would continue to widen, allowing people to not only work from home but also allow people to keep abreast of global investment.

Serena Malone

I would like to see technologically and digitally connected rural communities either through community created internet service provider groups or through private ISPs who have worked in partnership with the communities, who have no broadband, to try and find solutions to their technology issues. These issues require substantial economic funding and partnerships with various funding agencies is crucial.

Technology is vital for residents and businesses and having resilient and economically affordable access to the internet is crucial to keeping communities alive. More people working from home, starting businesses and people having access to further education courses online is the way forward.

Julie Burton

Marketing, Community and Economic Development Executive

NYnet Ltd

- Reversal of out commuting

- Maintaining young people in small towns by encouraging business start-ups / enterprises.

- Increased number of academic qualifications for young people on countryside issues; regeneration / widening knowledge and skills base

- Increase and improve local community partnerships, who can shape strategies and revitalise towns from the bottom up

- Increase the number of affordable housing

- Maintain a healthy balance of key attractions, independent stores, regional traders in market towns.

- Encourage local produce / trade

- Increase the number of community events

- Sustainable communities

- Encourage homeworking – money is then spent in local communities, reduces carbon footprint

- Increase leisure facilities

- Ensure villages and towns which are bypassed do not become dormant ‘trade’ towns