A new report by a campaign group representing residents of rural England has warned that charities are increasingly taking up the slack in rural areas, as government and private services disappear.

The campaign group - called Rural England - released its first State of Rural Services report this week. It highlights in particular the lack of access to banks, transport and health services for village and countryside residents, and the implications these have for business and life in rural England, which is home to 17% of the country’s population.

Public funding for rural bus services has been cut by 25% over the last four years, which has led to many lesser used rural services ceasing to operate. Just over half of rural residents have access to a GP via public transport or within ‘reasonable’ walking distance. Meanwhile, the closure of rural banks (the trend for which is accelerating, according to the report) and post offices present further problems in terms of access to cash for families and businesses and access to account information for those with poorer internet access. A quarter of village households in England live more than 2.5 miles from their nearest ATM machine.

Looking to education, the report shows that only half of rural residents can get to a Further Education college by public transport. Not only do younger learners spend much more time travelling to school or college than their urban counterparts, but poorer broadband access in rural regions may have an impact on researched work and homework times.  

The report also warned that mental health and welfare services are suffering as a result of cuts, and charities are being increasingly relied on in these areas. Suicide is more prevalent in rural areas - and farmers in particular are an at-risk group - but there is less access to NHS mental health services in the countryside, with fewer doctors, nurses, social workers and therapists available per capita.

The ageing demographic of rural areas also presents future risks; a population breakdown shows that fewer young people are remaining in rural regions, meaning further strain could be looming for rural services, in terms of access to GPs and social care.  

Reacting to the study on Tuesday, Labour’s Shadow Defra Secretary Rachael Maskell  said, “This is yet more evidence that rural communities have been left behind by this Tory Government.

“It’s particularly disturbing that poor transport links are having such a detrimental impact on access to health care and employment support. But it’s also clear that the lack of infrastructure in rural areas, including broadband and mobile access, is blocking access to vital services across the board.

“Rural communities will rightly expect the Government to answer tough questions about what’s being done to deal with these issues, especially in light of this new evidence of just how badly Tory policies are failing to deliver for them.”

Commenting on the impacts for mental health of the disparity in services, Graham Biggs of Rural England told Farming Online, "Our research shows that suicide rates are relatively high in rural areas and farmers have the highest rate among any occupation - because of their tendency not to seek help. Mental health services are more restricted in rural NHS Trust areas. Relative to their populations rural areas have fewer doctors nurses social workers and therapists with few home visits and in patient appointments."

The State of Rural Services 2016 report can be read here.