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Enabling a rural affairs commissioner role and a duty to have regard to the needs of rural communities

Amendment briefing

Ensure the devolution agenda supports a flourishing rural England

85% of England’s land area is classified as rural, with 17% of the country’s population living in these areas. Although the majority of these areas are not currently covered at a strategic level, they soon will be.

With the national focus on meeting housing targets, delivering large-scale infrastructure, and supporting the government’s growth mission, it is essential that rural areas are not forgotten, and that rural communities feel they have a genuine say in decisions affecting them. Rural areas have context specific needs and challenges, and we need to ensure that these communities get the fair representation, strategic investment, and support needed to thrive.

The Devolution White Paper, which set out the Government’s intentions for the Bill, stated “we will also explore… a better route for rural communities to be considered in local policy decision making”. The Bill as it currently stands does not mention “rural” once across all 371 of its pages. It remains unclear how the specific needs of rural communities will be highlighted and addressed.

Rural areas are important economic drivers, for farming, food production and other local businesses, as well as tourism. Government efforts have historically focused investment on urban areas, ignoring the potential for rural areas to contribute to the local and national economy, inspire inward investment from the private sector and meet essential needs for food production, health and wellbeing, climate resilience and nature recovery. Therefore, there needs to be a strategic focus on rural growth to identify what enabling infrastructure is needed to support rural communities with the recent and incoming planning reform.

The Bill draws provisions from the Greater London Act, and whilst it is the right approach to use this as a baseline, the Bill needs to go further in ensuring that measures aren’t urban-centric and consider the different contexts across strategic areas, including those with significant rural populations. 

The Bill can be bolstered in its support and recognition of rural communities through the inclusion of the below three amendments:

  1. Adding “rural affairs” as an area of competence.

  2. Amending the number of commissioners a Mayor can appoint from seven, to eight to allow for the inclusion of a “rural affairs” commissioner, if necessary.

  3. The addition of a “duty to consider rural needs”.

We believe this package of amendments will help to ensure the voice of rural communities is carried through the devolution process. The inclusion of these amendments is supported a recent research report commissioned by the Rural Housing Network, English devolution and rural affordable housing: opportunities and risks. The report recommends that "Bill amendments that place a duty on combined authorities to consider the needs of rural communities would help ensure that rural housing is not overlooked in favour of urban-focused strategies and investment plans, and that accountability mechanisms are available to rural communities and advocates".

Drafted amendment text:

Amendment 1: 

Clause 2, page 2, line 24 -  

In paragraph (g), omit the full stop after “public safety” and insert a semi colon. 

After paragraph (g), insert-  

“(h) rural affairs.” 

Member’s explanatory statement 

This amendment would add “rural affairs” to the list of areas of competence in Clause 2 of the Bill. 

Amendment 2: 

Clause 9, page 11, line 29 - 

In subsection (1) of the proposed new section 107CA of LDEDCA 2009, omit “7” and insert “8”. 


Member’s explanatory statement 

This amendment would increase the number of commissioners a mayor for the area of a combined authority may appoint from 7 to 8, to allow for the appointment of a “rural affairs commissioner” where appropriate, in line with the proposed amendment to expand the areas of competence. 

Amendment 3:

Clause 37, page 39, line 20, at end insert- 

“Rural communities 

37A Duty to consider the needs of rural communities 

  1. When considering whether or how to exercise any of its functions a combined authority, a CCA and each district council or county council that is a strategic authority must have regard to the needs of rural communities in relation to land use, the development of land and regeneration, housing, employment, health and wellbeing. 

  2. When considering whether or how to exercise any function, the mayor for the area of a combined authority and the mayor for the area of a CCA must have regard to the considerations set out in subsection (1).” 

Member’s explanatory statement 

This amendment would require strategic authorities and their mayors, when considering whether or how to exercise any of their functions, to have regard to the needs of rural communities.