Well used and thriving rural facilities such as shops, schools, community buildings open to all sections of the community.

Opportunities for rural communities to meet and contribute to the activity and future of their rural area.

Focus on promotion and use of local produce and services,

Availability of housing and employment opportunities, of a high quality, for local people.

Ability to use renewable energy for local use.

Simon Smith

I want to see small rural towns acting as real rural service centres (Centre Capitals) for their surrounding hinterland of villages and countryside. Places where people of all ages can live and be part of the community – and valued by their community whatever their circumstances. Places where my grandchildren will want to live and work.

Schools which provide good education for children, where they are part of the life of the community – places where they can live and want in turn to bring up their own children.

Older people who have access to good quality health care that enables them to stay in their community with services that keep them involved and not isolated through frailty or lack of mobility.

Places where people can work, even for a few days a week and good places for entrepreneurship and business development.

Valerie Carter

1) Every village will have a trading Co-operative Trust made up of local residents, businesses, youth, farmers etc

2) Every village will have the ability to produce 90% of the food that its residents need. 5% will be purchased from larger farm stores (e.g. foreign food) 5% will be ‘swapped’ with neighbouring villages that produce a different local crop due to microclimate/geography etc.

3) A percentage of the ‘harvest’ for each village will be sold every week in the village’s local market town.

4) The Co-operative Village Trust will also own business units (maybe ex-barn etc) it will provide free or low rent to local residents’ businesses and be linked by the internet for global trading and advertising the village itself for national and global tourism.

5) Residents will have children at the village school who will all work on the food farm of the village one day a week. Older children will help in the business unit with internet use / trading.

6) Profits from the Co-operative Village Trust will pay for self build affordable village building company to purchase professional skills, land (leases from farmers) and materials.

Guy Braga

Vision

Bring back the Countryside Agency and along with that the vital village appraisal process with staffing and funding to enable the parishes to both audit plan and review their communities, but most importantly with funding and professional support to implement the ideas and enable parishes to take ownership of social enterprise development whilst gaining vital services which enable the villages to keep the vital mix of old/young and thereby keep schools open, implementing childcare services and enabling new business opportunities.

Give Lottery grants of up to £50k as this amount employs up to 2 full time people (with oncosts)

Enable more people to live in rural areas. Encourage local trading and keep local shops, post offices and pubs open.

Lesley Kirton

SEDA Rural CIC

1) Sustainable & vibrant farming community

2) Viable village schools

3) Regular & affordable public transport, so people can afford to use public transport and they are at times when people need them

4) Protected landscapes to be enjoyed by all

5) Affordable housing for young local people

6) Well paid jobs with good career prospects

7) Easily accessible health care – local hospitals & health centres

Redundant buildings transformed to house businesses such as those using modern technologies and the development of the internet

9) Protect the heritage of market towns and villages so people can relate to the history of the area where they live, work and visit

Village primary schools – greater use of IT/broadband should allow more schools to be kept open. The village school is one of the keys to good community spirit.

Buildings

“We shape our buildings therefore they shape us”

W.S Churchill c1943

The quality of the village buildings should reflect the local materials.

Other buildings that are important:-

Village Hall

Church / Chapel etc

Shop / Post Office

Pub

The closure of rural Post Offices is detrimental to rural businesses. Although many more transactions can be carried out over the internet there is still a need for the facilities the Post Office can offer. A non-denominational village hall can serve a wide range of needs from social activities, art & craft clubs, flower clubs, play groups etc

Jacqui Marsh

By 2020 I would like:

Local employment

Good Schools

Sustainability

Healthy Living – Local Health Facilities

Locally produced food

Good leisure facilities

Clean energy

Waste totally reduced

Cultural & Heritage activities

Access to countryside

Cheap transport

Doug Phillips

Future Rural Britain will have:

1) Mixed communities made up of people of all ages, with community facilities such as halls, pubs, shops, schools, and churches which are well supported and are centres of village life.

2) A landscape which is cared for by farmers and landowners who are not absent, but value the land for how it looks and what it can be used for.

3) A farming industry which is highly valued by Government and encouraged and funded accordingly.

4) Businesses and industries located in the rural areas which are staffed by people who live locally, supported by local government planning departments who take a realistic view of the rural areas.

Anne Harrison

Maintain villages and interconnecting access of roads, railways and canals (where applicable) – encourage coops, farmers’ markets, local businesses to involve themselves in good interaction. Transport links will become viable with improved technology and the use of broadband. Small businesses will be set up and increased employment opportunities will result, decreasing the need to commute vast distances to and from work.

Schools to be coordinated, so access is available in the same way for even the remotest areas.

Increase recreational facilities – walks, water activities, wildlife centres and SSIs. Encourage knowledge of the importance of wildlife, global warming effects, respect for rural areas in all ways. Encourage people to join all kinds of local activities and support their locality.

Improved access to Market Towns for shopping, recreation and education – also health facilities improved.

Margaret Killin

Driffield Town Council

Valued and not just regarded as ‘empty’.

Still beautiful and capable of producing the bulk of  food needs.

More opportunity to live near family

Rebuilding cohesive communities

Opportunities to work locally

Keeping local schools

Based more on local trading

Less dependent on expensive energy

More flexible in responding to changes in work patterns and housing demands

Communities genuinely taking control of their own futures – more participatory

democracy

Better recognition of special needs, to provide services locally.

Market towns to be allowed to grow to meet demand and not dogmatically regarded as ‘unsustainable’.

Julian Owen