Hinterland
Rural News
UK household income likely to fall by £2,000 a year, says thinktank
We know the cost of living in rural settings is higher so this is a very interesting challenge to start 2023 with…. British households are only halfway through a two-year cost of living crisis, with average incomes likely to fall by more than £2,000, a leading thinktank has warned. Typical disposable incomes for working-age family […]
Care providers ask for doubled fees to care for people discharged from hospitals
With a disproportionately higher proportion of rural dwellers in the care demographic and a shortage of local choice this story highlights the differential impact the health and care crisis if likely to have on people living in rural settings… Care providers are demanding double the usual fees to look after thousands of people who need […]
Single-use cutlery and plates to be banned in England
A slightly different story, I wonder what the implications in terms of waste management and fly tipping of this feature in relation to rural settings are: Single-use items like plastic cutlery, plates and trays will be banned in England, the government has confirmed. It is not clear when the ban will come into effect, but […]
Strike daily: How Monday 9 January strikes will affect you
Staple fare for 2023 methinks, it would be very interesting to look at the disproportionate impact of current industrial disputes in rural settings. Monday is the first time since many people returned to work after a Christmas break that most rail services will return to normal. But one train operator, Chiltern Railways, is still warning […]
NHS to buy care beds to make space in hospitals
Innovation in action, the second story in Hinterland this time pointing to the pivotal role of social care in our current travails… Thousands of NHS patients in England will be moved into care homes as part of the government’s plan to ease unprecedented pressure on hospitals. The NHS is being given £250m to buy thousands […]
UK inflation rate calculator: How much are prices rising for you?
You can now work out your personal inflation rate, not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing!! Every month there’s a new figure for inflation – it estimates how much prices are rising across all the goods and services in the economy. In the 12 months to November 2022 the figure was 10.7%. […]
Brexit has worsened shortage of NHS doctors, analysis shows
Our research has indicated that the biggest challenge facing rural health and care is workforce so read through a rural lens this is a very depressing read. It tells us: Brexit has worsened the UK’s acute shortage of doctors in key areas of care and led to more than 4,000 European doctors choosing not to […]
Ruskin’s ‘loveliest’ view under threat in Kirkby Lonsdale
Climate change and rural areas… another prosaic but deep seated example of the challenges we face. This article tells us: An unspoiled, spirit-enhancing countryside view celebrated by the 19th-century critic and poet John Ruskin as one of the most beautiful in the world is under threat unless £1m can be raised. It was after a […]
‘People are living in vans’: Porthmadog considers vexed issue of second homes
I know this is in Wales but the issues raised here are equally valid in parts of rural England and as the next article profiled shows in the light of house market fluctuations far less straightforward than they might appear…. “It is beautiful,” said Craig ab Iago, Gwynedd council’s cabinet member for housing. “But there is […]
UK homeowners forced to settle for below asking price, Zoopla says
Is this a short term blip in the relentless growth of house prices or does it presage an inflation driven longer term change? Methinks it’s the latter, until we significantly increase the stock of housing the scales will always be tilted in favour of the house owner…. People selling their homes have typically had to […]
North of England faces rail chaos, warns business lobby
The chaos in the rail industry really is impacting on the lives of rural residents in England and so there is much to agree with in the comments profiled in this article. I would like to see rail worker salaries clearly benchmarked against everyone else so that we can see just how deep seated the […]
Ancient barn conversion with steam room found at Roman villa in Rutland
In the current world of deeply dysfunctional forces afflicting rural communities this article, which profiles a sauna like facility in Rutland almost 2000 years ago reminds us of in many senses just how little we have improved our circumstances over the last two millenia. It tells us: If you thought barn conversions were a relatively […]