Special taskforce needs people to help tackle rural issues

Residents, businesses and organisations will be having their say to help a new West Suffolk Council task force look at opportunities and issues in rural areas.

At their recent meeting the group agreed they wanted to talk to a range of people, organisations and businesses in rural areas to help inform their work.

West Suffolk Council leader John Griffiths made the commitment in his first speech to the new authority in May to set up a rural task force.

Mike Chester, who chairs the new group, said: “Our rural areas have both opportunities and issues that we want to look at. One of the best ways of doing that is not only looking at the evidence we have but talking to people who live and run businesses and organisations there, to ask their opinions. This will be crucial in developing options both to directly address some of the issues identified and also to ensure rural considerations are taken into account in future council processes and decision making. We will now be working up that programme of engagement and will be publicising when and how people can have their say.”

West Suffolk Council was set up to be large enough to champion the area while working closely with communities, such as those in rural areas, to tackle local issues.

The Rural Task Force will engage with communities and businesses while using a range of local and national evidence and identify key issues, assets and challenges.

This review will encompass all of West Suffolk’s areas, in order to understand the issues and opportunities that all rural or all urban areas have in common, as well as those facing specific localities.

It will also draw on existing evidence and research produced by other bodies, for example, the Rural Services Network and the House of Lords Select Committee on the rural economy.

It is expected that Cabinet will hear interim recommendations from the Task Force.

Pictured above are members of the West Suffolk Council Rural Task Force, left to right, councillors Peter Stevens, John Smith, Mary Evans, Terry Clements, Mike Chester, Andrew Smith, Diane Hind, Jim Thorndyke and Robin Millar.