The Commission for Rural Communities have been asking “Is the ‘Credit Crunch’ impacting on your economy?” to find out how rural communities are being affected. The issues you’ve raised have helped feed a rural perspective into a study on the impacts and implications of the ‘Credit Crunch’ on regeneration and economies. The study, commissioned by Local Government Minister John Healey, is led by principal author, Professor Michael Parkinson of Liverpool John Moore’s University. Thanks to everyone who’s shared their thoughts and experiences on the impacts of the ‘Credit Crunch’ on their rural communities. The initial interim report is now available to download and the final report will be ready shortly: http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/files/credit%20crunch%20interim%20paper.pdf

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1 October 2008
© Commission for Rural Communities

This leaflet introduces Particpatory Budgeting and outlines the work CRC are doing with the Participatory Budgeting Unit to find practical ways to promote and support PB approaches within the parish and town council sector and across local government in rural areas. CRC will be working with a small number of pilot areas to develop PB as a tool to enable local people to participate in local decision making. Free download: http://www.participatorybudgeting.org.uk/

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18 September 2008
© Commission for Rural Communities

A new Economic Development Investment Plan was launched today by the three Regional Development Agencies in the South East of England to transform the Thames Gateway into a thriving business, research and innovation hub and a vibrant place to live.The investment programme was unveiled by the London Development Agency, East of England Development Agency and South East England Development Agency in partnership with the Department for Communities and Local Government. Building on existing investment in and around the Gateway, the programme  will  help underpin a growing knowledge economy in the Thames Gateway with higher value jobs and help build a more productive and  competitive region.  At the same time it will help people in the local communities benefit from new work opportunities.
 
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16 September 2008
© EEDA

Significant improvements in the competitiveness of British cities have alleviated the north-south divide but at the expense of rural areas, according to research. The UK Competitiveness Index, published by the Centre of International Competitiveness at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff detailed how the biggest drops in competitiveness occurred in the rural economies of Scotland, south-west England, Wales and north-east England www.cforic.org/pages/ukci2008.php

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11 September 2008
© Centre of International Competitiveness

Cities should not aspire to match London’s status as an international economic hotspot but take a realistic approach and concentrate on their strengths to flourish in the global economy, according to a new report. UK cities in the global economy, from the Centre for Cities think tank, found that while some cities have benefited from the erosion of international trade barriers, others have lost out significantly. The ongoing trend for globalisation has favoured cities with more highly skilled workers and developed areas of specialism. In Reading, which has established itself as hub of financial and business expertise, 40% of the workforce is employed in the top 20 exporting sectors, nearly double that of Stoke and Doncaster. Meanwhile, cities that are traditionally reliant on heavy industry have suffered as a result of globalisation. Liverpool’s population has shrunk by 16% since the early 1980s, while Milton Keynes’ population has grown by 78%, thanks to blossoming service industries.

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10 September 2008
© NewStart

Labour has been accused of exacerbating regional disparities and social fragmentation despite a decade of economic growth. Unpublished research from Cambridge University, unveiled this week at the Royal Geographical Society’s annual conference, blames ill-thought-out regional policy for contributing to disparities that are now wider than at any time since the second world war. Damning the government’s one-Britain aspirations as ‘challenging, vague and limited’, it said Labour’s record was worse than that of the preceding Tory government, which could at least be blamed on the uneven impact of deindustrialisation.

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2 September 2008
© NewStart

Significant improvements in the competitiveness of British cities have alleviated the north-south divide but at the expense of rural areas, according to research. The north-west of England has seen the biggest improvement in performance since 2006, mainly thanks to growth in Manchester, Salford and Liverpool. The UK Competitiveness Index, published by the Centre for International Competitiveness at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), said Liverpool and Salford both rose 44 places out of a competitiveness ranking of 407 locations. Manchester rose 24 places. Other improving cities included York (up 32 places), Darlington (up 73 positions) and Durham (up 66).

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3 September 2008
© NewStart

The CRC welcome publication of the well-respected UK Competitiveness Index for 2008 and we support the authors’ concern that the competitiveness of some rural economies has slipped whilst many more city and urban areas show evidence of improvements. The Rural Advocate’s recent advice to the Prime Minister ‘England’s rural areas: steps to release their economic potential’, drew attention to the unfulfilled potential of England’s rural economies. Early action by central and regional government on the solutions suggested in the Rural Advocate’s advice would help to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of some weakly performing rural economies. The Index’s value rests in its consistent recording of spatial variation in competitiveness and its components.

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4 September 2008
© Commission for Rural Communities

Richard Ellis, chair of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) was joined by Government Ministers, when he met regional business leaders, partners and stakeholders today to find out how the current economic downturn is affecting businesses in the East of the England, and to launch a £10 million regional response to the current economic situation. HM Treasury Minister, Angela Eagle, and Barbara Follett, Minister for East of England and Richard Ellis began their afternoon with a private meeting with key regional business leaders, partners and stakeholders from across the region to hear first hand about the issues affecting industries in the region and to listen to their feedback on the government’s response so far. The meeting was then followed by a visit to Light Blue Optics, a company which has developed an innovative laser-based miniature projection technology with help from EEDA. The business support package from the East of England Development Agency will be targeted in particular at the industries which make up the ‘engine’ of the region’s economy - start-ups and innovative and ambitious companies in the biotech and life-sciences, manufacturing and low carbon sectors. The joint response also recognises the extensive work already being done by local councils and the voluntary sector in boosting economic performance in their areas.

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28 August 2008
© HM Treasury (East)

The Western Isles can play an important part in Scotland’s renewable energy revolution, Energy Minister Jim Mather said today. He was in Stornoway to hear emerging findings from the Scottish Government’s study into how renewable energy and other projects can benefit the Western Isles. Jim Mather said: “When I came to the Western Isles earlier this year I announced a study to look at how renewable energy and other projects can deliver economic and community benefit to the Western Isles. I am delighted to be back to hear some of the interim findings and to take stock of progress. Renewable energy will be crucial to increasing sustainable economic growth across Scotland and we have set ambitious targets to help drive this forward. However, particularly in the Western Isles, we need to do this is a way that is in harmony with the environmental obligations.”

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27 August 2008
© Scottish Government