Rural Action
The Conservative Party has launched new ‘rural action’ proposals to address the decline and bolster support for our rural communities.
With the decline of local shops, Post Offices, and services in Lancaster’s surrounding villages, rural action has never been more important.
The Rural Action Agenda’s key aims for rural communities include:
- Power to rural communities: Conservatives will scrap top-down housing targets and allow councils to oppose development planned for green belt land. Villages will also be given the right to build their own affordable homes.
- Protect rural services: Conservatives will pilot new rural transport solutions. Rural communities will be given the power to resist school closures, and could choose to start new village schools.
- Revive the rural economy: Conservatives will cut tax rates for small businesses to encourage growth and protect jobs, allow councils to offer rural business rate discounts and simplify the planning system to improve accountability.
The Shadow Environment Secretary, Nick Herbert said: “We need a new approach to reverse the trend of centralisation and end the thoughtless dictat from Whitehall, so that rural communities and the rural way of life are respected.”
“We will return power and decision-making to individuals and communities, so that people have a genuine say over the matters that affect them locally. And we will unlock the potential of the rural economy to deliver jobs from sustainable businesses of the future.”
Eric Ollerenshaw, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Lancaster and Fleetwood said: “Labour has been too quick to neglect the needs of Lancaster’s rural areas. With Post Office closures and a struggling rural economy, a new approach is needed to empower rural communities.”
“I welcome today’s announcement because it puts the voice of rural communities at the heart of the Conservative Party Agenda for Lancaster.”
