You can download the data from the main Rural Services Data Series page

This datasheet contains information about the availability and accessibility of services in rural areas.

This datasheet contains information about the availability and accessibility of services in rural areas.

This is an Output Area file which contains a measure of distance from households to various services for England, this file has been made available to allow users to develop their own bespoke analysis of access to services data.

In their Digital Britain report the government pledged to deliver a Universal Broadband service of a minimum 2mps no later than 2012, but there are still questions as to how this will be achieved for rural consumers.

The Business & Enterprise Committee has this week announced an inquiry into broadband speed, which as well as looking at whether the target of 2mps is ambitious enough will also consider how next generation access will be funded, as well as investigating whether companies are delivering the speed of access promised to consumers.

We're working to encourage government to take forward the recomendations in our 'Mind the Gap' report, to ensure equitable access to high quality broadband for all areas.

Some of those giving evidence to our Inquiry Panel said that broadband is now essential to the success of many tourism businesses on the moors of the South West, citing the growth in online destination marketing and the increasing use of multi-media and online booking for holiday lets.

Our Inquiry Panel also heard that there is a common perception that hi-tech businesses can't operate in the uplands. However examples were given of many companies in the South West who can and do run successful businesses from upland towns, villages and even from their own homes.

There is a growing concern that most rural communities, particularly those in the more remote valleys, will be left behind as next generation higher speed broadband leads to new services that upland communities will not be able to access. This was one of the key issues raised in our recent report 'Mind the Gap: Digital England - a rural perspective'.

In this 5th of 6 regional hearings, several other significant concerns, challenges and potential solutions were raised by about 40 participants contributing evidence to the inquiry.

Read the hearing summary

Summary notes of earlier hearings are already available on our main Uplands Communities page and notes on the last hearing will follow shortly.

If you have any queries or would like to raise any points yourself please contact the inquiry team at: uplandsinquiry@ruralcommunities.gov.uk

This report summarises the main messages arising from our Upland Communities inquiry's regional hearing in Ilsington, Devon, 23-24 April 2009.

Financial exclusion is a real challenge in rural areas:

• Over 200,000 people living in rural communities have no access to a bank account of any kind

• 250,000 people have no local access to either a post office, bank or building society or cash machine

• Demand for affordable credit and debt advice is outstripping supply

Despite these significant challenges, financially excluded people living in rural areas are less visible and more difficult to reach than those in urban areas.

'Rural Money Matters':

• provides a comprehensive overview describing the challenges and opportunities rural financial inclusion presents

• identifies financial exclusion ‘hot spots’ and clearly presents the scale and depth of the challenge

• demonstrates ways to promote financial inclusion in through case studies highlighting good practice

• helps policy makers and programmers 'rural proof' their work on financial inclusion by considering and addressing rural circumstances

The Guide has been produced jointly with DWP’s Now Let’s Talk Money initiative, with the support of the Legal Services Research Centre, Experian Ltd, Citizens Advice and a broad range of local partner organisations.

“The economic downturn is bringing in to sharp focus the need for rural people to be able to get the right financial advice at the right time. 'Rural Money Matters' provides practical advice and solutions based on the experiences of individuals and organisations around the country."

Read the full press release

Download ‘Rural Money Matters: A Support Guide to Rural Financial Inclusion’

To support the 'Rural Money Matters' guide we've produced the latest in our State of the Countryside Updates, providing statistical analysis of the scale and depth of rural financial inclusion.

Download 'State of the Countryside Update: Financial Inclusion'