{"id":68791,"date":"2026-02-11T16:55:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T16:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=68791"},"modified":"2026-02-11T16:55:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T16:55:09","slug":"cabinet-asked-consider-daily-pressures-facing-rural-devon-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/cabinet-asked-consider-daily-pressures-facing-rural-devon-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Cabinet asked to consider daily pressures facing rural Devon communities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Devon County Council\u2019s Cabinet is asked to consider the growing range of pressures that people in rural and coastal communities face every day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It follows a Notice of Motion from Councillor Stuart Rogers BEM, local member for Ashburton & Buckfastleigh, highlighting the impact that rising living costs and declining local services are having on rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Rogers says residents in rural communities are travelling further for basic services, paying more for transport and heating, and struggling with poor public transport and unreliable digital connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He argues that when services such as banking, shopping, or healthcare disappear, they rarely return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that limited public transport in some areas leaves many residents reliant on their cars at a time when fuel and insurance costs are rising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heating costs, he says, are higher for households that rely on oil, LPG or solid fuel, all of which have seen steep price increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First raised at the council\u2019s Full Council meeting in December, Councillor Roger\u2019s report now asks the Council\u2019s Cabinet to formally recognise the scale of the challenges and take practical action to support rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n

\r\n\t
\r\n

Councillor Stuart Rogers said:<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cRural Devon is under pressure like never before.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur communities are being hit from all sides, losing services, paying more for travel, and facing higher heating and living costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are not abstract problems; they shape people\u2019s daily lives and it\u2019s essential that Members confront this head on.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy Notice of Motion calls for honest acknowledgement, real data, stronger lobbying and practical local action so that rural residents are not left behind or forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Stuart Rogers BEM<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

Cabinet is being asked to agree that the Council resolves to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u2022 Acknowledge and formally declare that the cost of living crisis, and the reduction in key local services, disproportionately and severely affects Devon\u2019s rural communities.
\u2022 Draw together and publish detailed data on the specific and measurable impacts of the cost of living crisis in rural Devon, including fuel poverty, transport costs and access to essential services.
\u2022 Lobby Government and business groups to recognise the unique pressures on rural areas and provide targeted funding to support rural households with energy and transport costs.
\u2022 Set up a series of rural pilot areas, bringing together local Members, officers, partners and the private sector, to explore and deliver innovative local solutions, such as:
– community run transport schemes
– strengthened community engagement
– rural outreach for services
– rural hubs using existing local buildings
– closer alignment with the wider local government family
– devolved service delivery
– shared delivery and outreach with partners<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Notice of Motion will be discussed at the council\u2019s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 17 February, County Hall, Exeter.<\/p>\n\n\n

\r\n\t
\r\n

Speaking before the meeting, Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, said:<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cI look forward to our Cabinet discussion about this next week and thank Councillor Rogers for bringing this matter forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s true that rural communities face challenges that urban areas simply don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cDelivering services in a county like Devon costs more. Distances are greater. Transport is harder. Digital connections are patchy. Yet none of this is reflected in the funding we receive from Government. It isn\u2019t fair, and it leaves our rural residents at a disadvantage before they even start.<\/p>\n

\u201cA great deal of excellent work is already being done by Devon County Council\u2019s officers, and for the first time ever, the council has specifically designated a cabinet member role with responsibility for Rural Affairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am constantly lobbying central government on this issue and am also part of Devon\u2019s Rural Nested Deprivation Group, which was established in June last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that deprivation in rural areas is often hidden, and we know that Government data which relies heavily on averages, can mask the true picture of rural poverty and exclusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are committed to developing a fuller, place based understanding of rurality in Devon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means working collaboratively with partner organisations and communities to develop an action plan with the same aim and passion, to improve living standards and access to services for people across this large, predominantly rural county.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must constantly look through a rural lens. And in every decision that we make, we must ask the question: \u2018What does this mean for our deprived rural areas?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs and Broadband<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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