NFU President Minette Batters said: “It’s encouraging to see concentrated efforts from the government to level up rural communities, especially the funding being made available through the Rural England Prosperity Fund to help the development and growth of rural businesses.
“It’s also promising that the government is looking at its levelling up goals through a rural lens and training civil servants on rural proofing. This will help ensure levelling up policies work for those living and working in rural areas, in turn, enabling rural communities to deliver even more when it comes to producing climate-friendly food, providing greater access to the iconic great British countryside and contributing to the national economy.
“We now need to see all government departments taking greater accountability for levelling up rural areas; policies around digital connectivity, tourism, transport and housing are just as important to rural communities as they are to urban ones. Alongside Defra’s work, a specific rural taskforce within the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities would help keep rural needs at the forefront of all levelling up policy-making, enabling rural areas to maximise the opportunities these policies are intended to provide.”