HYOC2020 is about celebrating Hertfordshire as a county of creative and cultural opportunity. Culture means many things to many people so whatever you’re involved in, we want you to celebrate share and explore as many cultural opportunities as you can during 2020.

Join in the fun by using #HYOC2020 on social media and find out what's on in your local area at www.creativehertfordshire.com or by following #HertsMyCreativeCounty.

Gigabit broadband: Rural households urged to claim upgrade cash

The government is urging struggling rural broadband customers to apply for cash it has set aside to pay for ultra high-speed connections.

Digital Minister Matt Warman said £70m is "still there for the taking".

The gigabit voucher scheme is part of the government's election pledge to bring broadband speeds of up to 1,000Mbps to the whole country by 2025.

It says nearly half a million homes have been connected with the help of government subsidies.

HCC Countryside and Rights of Way

Over the last month we have welcomed back some of our loyal army of Conservation Volunteers and continue working behind the scenes to bring back a renewed Hertfordshire Health Walks. 

This month's highlights:

Volunteer work parties are back!

Hertingfordbury footpaths 32, 33 and 103 receive a makeover

New all-weather path at The Wick

Ancient Woodland Restoration at Broxbourne Woods NNR

Click Here for more information

RURAL FUNDING DIGEST - AUGUST 2020

A monthly bulletin facilitated by the Rural Services Network highlighting a selection of current funding opportunities a selection of which is below. 

To download a printable version of the Funding Digest Click Here

National Lottery Project Grants – Arts Council England https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/projectgrants

Postcode Community Trust https://www.postcodecommunitytrust.org.uk/

Farming Recovery Fund – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs https://www.gov.uk/guidance/farming-recovery-fund-extension-2020

Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme – Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/

Grant schemes for electric vehicle charging infrastructure – Office for Low Emission Vehicles https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-grants-for-low-emission-vehicles

Covid-19 Support – Sport England https://www.sportengland.org/how-we-can-help/coronavirus-funding-and-flexibility

Neighbourhood Planning Grant Funding – Locality https://neighbourhoodplanning.org/about/grant-funding/#affordablehousing

Places to Ride – British Cycling https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/placestoride

Cornerstone, Gateway & Foundation Grants – National Churches Trust http://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/our-grants

Tesco Community Grants – Tesco and Groundwork https://tescobagsofhelp.org.uk/

Help the Homeless grants http://www.help-the-homeless.org.uk/

Grants to support repair and conservation of war memorials – War Memorials Trust http://www.warmemorials.org/grants/ 

RURAL CRIME RISES TO HIGHEST LEVEL FOR EIGHT YEARS

The BBC and Police Professional published the findings of insurance company NFU Mutual’s 2020 Rural Crime Report, showing that rural crime across the UK is at its highest level for eight years

The report expressed concerns that rural theft is expected to escalate as the economic impact of COVID-19 hits. Across the UK, rural crime cost £54.3 million in 2019, an increase of almost nine percent on the previous year.

Sheep rustling rose almost 15 percent year-on-year at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with a spike in reports of livestock – mainly sheep and lambs – being stolen in April.

Farmers also experienced an ‘influx’ of walkers on their land while reports of dog attacks on farm animals rose during the outbreak.

The three counties worst affected by the cost of rural crime were Lincolnshire (£2.8 million), Essex (£2.7 million) and North Yorkshire (£2.2 million).

Full articles:

BBC - Rural crime in England reaches eight-year high of £46m

Police Professional - Rural crime rises to highest level for eight years

GOVERNMENT SETS OUT FAR-REACHING PLANNING OVERHAUL

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP (Con) has claimed that a major overhaul of England's planning system will speed up the housebuilding process and ‘cut red tape but not standards’ by protecting green spaces while making it easier to build on brownfield sites.

This week the Government published the new planning White Paper, Planning for the Future, which removes the section 106 agreements that oblige developers to contribute to local infrastructure - including building affordable homes.

This also removes the right of local authorities to determine many individual planning applications, as the new system proposes that local authorities will draw up local plans designating all land in their areas as being either for ‘growth’, ‘renewal’ or ‘protection’.

Sites zoned for growth will receive automatic permission if developers adhere to locally drawn up design guides.

Local authorities will be required to draw up the local plans in 30 months, down from an average of seven years currently. But Labour branded the move a ‘developers’ charter’, while the Campaign to Protect Rural England questioned how much local involvement there would be under the proposed system.

Revitalising Rural – Rural Housing Day

The Rural Services Network is delighted to be taking bookings for our online National Rural Conference, Revitalising Rural.

Taking place throughout the week from 14-18th September, with each day focusing on a different topic relevant to rural areas.  This week we are concentrating on the third conference day, Wednesday 16th September which is Rural Housing Day!  Kindly sponsored by English Rural, the day will feature sessions that all members of the Rural Services Network can access for free. Book your place here!

Throughout the course of the week, we are providing a range of sessions to make you feel like you are at our normal conference.

Click Here for further information

Rural Bus Services

On 14th July 2020, the Rural Services APPG considered the main difficulties faced by rural bus services in England, and how these might be overcome

The Chairman of the APPG for Rural Services (The Rt Hon Philip Dunne, MP) has written a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport calling for a rural bus strategy to protect the isolation of individuals who belong to a rural area.   

In relation to rural bus services, the letter states:

“The impact of Covid 19 has exacerbated…issues across the UK and will require ongoing assistance to operators and authorities to rebuild the industry. But that also gives us an opportunity for a fresh approach. The promise of £5bn for public transport, walking and cycling, announced this February alongside “A better deal for bus users”, in which the Department declared its intent to publish a national Bus Strategy in Autumn of this year, provides the vehicle for that opportunity. The APPG considers that it is imperative that the unique circumstances pertaining to rural bus services are recognized in this, and that special account is taken of these – indeed we would ask for a specific Rural Bus Strategy to respond to the unique and special circumstances of rural areas and the residents thereof.”

A full copy of this letter can be downloaded here