Countryside Alliance - love the countryside

Your countryside needs to be celebrated for its business innovation and new enterprises should be encouraged.

It’s a fact

In remote rural areas the number of businesses per 10,000 people is almost three times the level in urban areas.

Why we care
Rural areas are vibrant and thriving when it comes to business, with higher levels of self-employment and lower levels of unemployment. However, this economic health often fails to translate into material benefits for residents, with the cost of living significantly higher in rural areas. We will work to help rural businesses succeed.

The Countryside Alliance believes:

 Red tape should be cut to improve the profitability of rural businesses. More on this...

 Rural tourism is thriving, but many businesses are vulnerable because of their size and seasonal nature. Reductions in business rates and other fiscal measures should be used to ensure the long-term sustainability of businesses where appropriate. More on this...

 Planning regulations should fully support the role of rural enterprise and pay special attention to the use of brownfield sites. More on this...

 To revitalise local businesses, large organisations should be encouraged to adopt home-working schemes. More on this...

 The Job Seekers’ Allowance should be reviewed to ensure it accounts for the seasonality of work in rural areas. This will help ensure that skilled people remain in communities for skilled work in season. More on this...