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‘THINK RURAL’  

‘Think Rural’, the Rural Charter for England ’s East Midlands is the first of its kind in this country. Its purpose is to engage organisations and companies to make a positive difference to the rural areas of the region. Those that adopt the Charter demonstrate their commitment to achieving rural prosperity and providing a fair deal for the region’s rural areas for the benefit of all. The Charter is sponsored by the East Midlands Rural Affairs Forum.

The importance of rural areas

The rural areas are vitally important to the East Midlands . They are home to over 40% of the region’s population, compared to nearer 20% nationally. Businesses in the rural areas are a key part of the region’s drive for success. A living and working countryside that sustains and enhances an attractive and diverse environment is essential to the East Midland ’s social and economic well-being.

Rural areas are changing and the rural population is growing, in many areas at a faster rate than in the urban areas. Often, though, this has been the result of more older people moving in, with younger people tending to migrate to urban areas. As well as providing many opportunities, the rural areas also face significant problems that include the loss of local services and facilities, low wage levels, difficult accessibility and lack of affordable housing.

The organisations that are signatories to this Charter – public, private and voluntary – are committed to giving sufficient consideration to how their policies and actions affect the rural areas. They will ‘think rural’ and appreciate that what works in urban areas does not necessarily work in the countryside. As a result, policies will be developed to make a fair deal for rural areas.

Thinking rural  

There is a need for organisations involved in the region to examine the rural dimension of their policies and to carry out their activities in ways that add real value to rural communities and have a positive impact on key rural issues.  There is a need to “Think Rural”. This is what the Rural Charter seeks to do. Its objectives are to:

• maintain vital rural communities and strengthen and rejuvenate the region’s market towns

• achieve high quality rural services and facilities

• improve accessibility for rural people and businesses

• promote sustainable rural economies and employment.

• meet the needs of all rural residents including young people and the elderly and tackle social exclusion.

• sustain & enhance the distinctive and diverse rural environment

Membership of the rural charter  

Organisations and companies are invited to adopt the Rural Charter and its objectives and become Charter members. Membership is open to all organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors that are based in or involved in the region and whose policies and activities have an impact on the rural areas of the East Midlands . Activities that are covered include:

• retail and commercial services (banks, shops, post offices)

• leisure, recreation and tourism

• development of regional, sub-regional and local strategies, policies and programmes

• transport services, including public transport and community transport

• development and application of new technology to give rural areas the benefits and opportunities of the digital age

• business support services

• affordable housing provision

• agriculture and food production

• healthcare and social care services

• education, learning and skills training

• tackling crime and improving community safety

• community development

• renewable energy generation

• spatial planning

These are just some of the activities covered by the Charter but there are many others. The Rural Charter is relevant to all those activities and services that in some way impact on the quality of life of the region’s rural areas.

Organisations and companies that adopt the Rural Charter will be entitled to display a specially designed certificate on their premises and display the words “We think rural - [Organisation or company name] is a member of the East Midlands Rural Charter committed to making a positive impact on the region’s rural areas”. They will also be entitled to display the wording with an authorised Rural Charter logo on their letters, brochures and other publications.

Key benefits of being a 'think rural' charter member  

The key benefits of being a Rural Charter member for an organisation or company lie in the opportunity thinking rural gives to develop good practice, put in place more effective policies and be in the forefront of developing new and innovative ways of delivering services. For companies, the opportunity is to make a positive impact in rural areas through the way they do business, adding to overall competitiveness while also providing support to rural communities and economies. Moreover, the Charter provides an opportunity to demonstrate that your organisation ‘thinks rural’ and be included in the marketing campaign that will accompany the Charter.

The obligation of Charter members is to put rural thinking into the mainstream of planning and delivering their policies and activities. ‘Thinking Rural’ means rural proofing your policies and activities. By adopting this Charter, members undertake to reflect the needs and characteristics of the rural areas of the East Midlands in their policies and build the principle of Rural Proofing into their decision-making.

Thinking rural by rural proofing  

Rural Proofing involves evaluating policies and actions to ensure they take account of rural needs. As their policies are planned, developed and implemented, Charter members undertake to:

• consider whether they are likely to have a different impact in the rural areas because of particular rural circumstances or needs

• assess those impacts and, where they are significant, consider adjustments to policy or alternative means of delivery.

Rural proofing is a core part of the Rural Charter but the aim is neither to increase bureaucracy nor to introduce a time-consuming process. The important thing is for members to assess whether a policy is likely to have significant differential impacts in rural areas compared to other areas – and if it does, to do something about it.

In carrying out rural proofing, members should apply an appropriate checklist of key questions to policies and their delivery.

Rural proofing should begin early in the policy making process so that it can have an influence before key decisions are taken. To ensure this happens, rural proofing should be actively promoted throughout member organisations to ensure that it is understood and acted upon. Rural Proofing is much more likely to succeed where there is backing at senior level, ideally with someone prepared to champion it from the top.

Rural proofing is a positive process. It has the potential to improve Charter members’ policies and actions. Pro-active rural proofing should improve decision-making, helping to avoid unexpected negative side effects and reducing the need for additional remedial action and costs in the future.

Operating guidelines

1. The Rural Charter is a voluntary agreement. Organisations and companies will determine individually whether they wish to adopt the Charter.

2. Those that do will be included in appropriate publicity by the East Midlands Rural Affairs Forum [EMRAF] as organisations that are committed to making a positive impact in the rural areas of the East Midlands . EMRAF invites charter members to provide examples of such positive impacts.

3. Charter members will be responsible for carrying out the rural proofing of their policies and actions.

4. The Countryside Agency’s Rural Proofing Unit will also be available to provide guidance. EMRAF may be able to assist in considering rural impacts by discussing proposals in principle to help identify key issues.

5. Members will be able to demonstrate how they have taken rural issues into account when asked.

6. Continued membership of the Charter will not be automatic but will depend on members meeting these guidelines. It will be at the discretion of EMRAF, who will review membership from time to time as appropriate. Factors taken into account will include comments form individuals and organisations.

7. EMRAF reserves the right to withdraw Charter membership in circumstances where the guidelines of the Charter have not been followed.

8. EMRAF will have the overall role of monitoring the operation of the Charter. With their local knowledge, Town and Parish Councils, working with their County Associations of Local Councils, will have an important contribution to make in assisting EMRAF to undertake its monitoring role.

9. EMRAF will review the operation of the Charter periodically and consider the need for revising or amending its provisions as appropriate.

RURAL PROOFING CHECKLIST

Examples of key questions are:

• What will be the effect on the availability of local facilities in the rural areas? Can policies be adjusted to protect or enhance such facilities?
• What will be the impact on access to and maintaining/improving services for rural people, particularly for less mobile groups such as the elderly?
• How can changes in business practice, delivery of services and access to goods achieve a positive impact in rural areas?
• Are there innovative ways in which access to goods and services could be improved for people living in rural areas?
• What will be the consequences for the ease and cost of travel in the rural areas where options are limited or expensive especially for low-income groups and others without access to a car?
• Will there be an impact on young people living in rural areas in any way?
• What will be the consequences for disadvantage groups in rural areas such as the elderly, people with disabilities, the homeless, unemployed, ethnic minorities?
• If policies are targeted at the disadvantaged, how will this be achieved in the rural areas, where disadvantage is less concentrated?
• What will be the effect on the rural economy, on market towns, and on rural businesses, including small businesses and the self-employed?
• What will be the impact on employment opportunities in rural areas and on those on low wages or in part-time and seasonal employment – which form a higher proportion of the rural workforce?
• What will be the impact on providing affordable, quality rural housing across all types of tenure?
• What will be the effect on education and training – on schools, colleges, access via local facilities or through transport or distance learning?
• What will be the impact on the use of and access to ICT in the rural areas?
• What will be the consequences for the quality and character of the natural and built rural landscape or on the natural environment and its biodiversity?
• What will be the effect on people wishing to reach and use the countryside for tourism, recreation and enjoyment?

This is not intended to be a definitive rural proofing checklist. There may be other questions that members may need to use that are particularly relevant to their own areas of activity.