Dear Marie
Welcome to the first Rural Bulletin of the year.
A key focus this week is the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026/27, which raises serious questions about how fairly rural councils are being funded. This topic will be central to RSN’s work in the weeks ahead.
We are proud to share the news that Cllr Roger Phillips, Chair of the Rural Services Network, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours for services to the community in Herefordshire, a fitting recognition of his long-standing commitment to public service and rural communities.
In this week’s Bulletin, we also look ahead to RSN’s priorities for the year, explore new tools and technologies shaping rural connectivity, highlight major Government planning reforms, and share opportunities for members to contribute to national policy discussions, including a new Call for Evidence on young people and work.
Looking ahead, members may wish to note that our SPARSE (Fair Funding) Group meeting takes place on Monday 12th January at 11:00am, focusing specifically on the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement. This session is only open to local authorities with a sparse membership of the RSN. We are pleased to welcome Adrian Jenkins, Founder and Chief Analyst at Pixel Financial Management, who will share expert insight on the settlement and its impact on rural councils.
Finally, a reminder that our first RSN Member-Exclusive Seminar of the year takes place later this month, on Wednesday 28 January, with a focus on Rural Net Zero.
Further information and booking details for all RSN events can be found here.
Thank you for reading, and for your continued engagement as we begin another important year for rural communities.
Kerry Booth, Chief Executive, Rural Services Network
