Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire Image supplied by freefoto.com

Rural Issues, Tourism, and Rural Post Offices

Yorkshire & Humber Region has some of the most beautiful and diverse countryside in the UK.  From The Dales to the open moors and pretty coastal towns and villages, over 80% of Yorkshire & Humber is rural.

Natural England believes the future will see more people working from home, thereby encouraging local networking, strengthening local communities and assisting in the protection of an increasingly fragile environment.  Further migration to more pleasurable surroundings will see country towns become increasingly desirable targets for business, as they become economically independent.

Ben Armishaw, FSB Yorkshire & Humber tourism spokesman

Cath Lee, FSB Yorkshire & Humber rural affairs spokesperson

Denise Wilson, FSB Yorkshire & Humber spokesperson on postal issues

However attractive a rural area may appear from the outside, living and working there can bring its own challenges.  Whilst the availability and uptake of transport, telecommunications, and business support in rural areas may be low, the influx of potential entrepreneurs provides major opportunities.  With self employment in rural areas at 12% compared to 9% in urban areas, a successful rural economy can help counteract these long term challenges.

Visiting the countryside is a popular pastime for international, as well as domestic, tourists. The tourism industry generates £6.3 billion pounds of revenue to the region's economy and there are 250,000 people working in tourism related jobs.  The current economic downturn has resulted in more of us staying and holidaying at home providing a welcome boost to the region's tourist industry.

The postal service remains of vital importance to the UK economy allowing the free flow of information, goods and funds between businesses and individuals.  Small rural businesses in particular rely upon the post as an important means of communication and financial infrastructure.  There are 4,750 Post Offices in rural England.  The majority are sustained by working alongside or in partnership with village shops, pubs and in some cases purely community support.  Whilst many rural Post Offices are loss making, the social role that they play is significant and in some cases vital to the surrounding community. 

The FSB's recently published (September 2009) Postal Report sets out our vision for a sustainable Post Office network with a viable future, structurally as well as financially.

Rural Issues:

• Employers in rural areas report skills shortages, especially communication and generic skills.  Although it is difficult to find evidence of a direct link, these areas also have the least affordable housing in the region and, anecdotally, employers cite affordable housing as a significant problem when trying to retain and attract employees.
• Business support can be spasmodic due to accessibility problems.
• In many rural areas Broadband, whilst available, is slow.
• In order to overcome geographical isolation and limited public transport, rural communities are more dependent on private cars for transport.  High fuel prices are a heavy burden on rural businesses.
• There is a mandatory 50% rural rate relief for some small businesses with a discretionary to increase it to 100%, but many councils fail to implement the full amount. (In general we would like to see small business rate relief made automatic).

What can we do to tackle rural issues?

• Ensure that we have a say in the future development of the rural economy by lobbying the region's decision makers through membership of organisations such as the regions Rural Affairs Forum, Business Link and Yorkshire Forward.
• Support the national vision for a new Post Office network to include the setting up of a Post Bank offering a full range of financial and support services.
• If you have a rural issue that you would like highlighting pleas e-mail and let us have the details.

Useful Regional Contacts:

1. Yorkshire & Humber Rural Affairs Forum (YHRAF) currently has around 70 organisations, including the FSB, representing economic, environmental and social aspects of our region. The RAF is a partnership funded by DEFRA, Yorkshire Water and Yorkshire Forward.
   
2. Yorkshire Forward the Regional Development Agency 
   
3. Business Link Yorkshire providers of regional business support